Four individuals have been detained by the Abia State Police Command on suspicion of conspiring, stealing children, and trafficking in the state.
This was revealed in a statement released on Monday by Police Public Relations Officer Maureen Chinaka on behalf of Police Commissioner Wilfred Afolabi.
Gladys Nathaniel, 48; Victor Udochukwu, 47; Chijioke Obunwa, 59; and Onyeonoro Chinwe, 43, were the suspects, according to her.
The police state that on September 16, 2026, “operatives of the Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU), Rapid Response Unit, RRU Obehie, acting on credible and actionable intelligence, arrested the aforementioned suspects for conspiracy, child theft, and trafficking.”
“The suspects allegedly plotted to steal a 4-day-old child from her mentally ill mother and then sell the child to someone else.” After a thorough police investigation, they were captured.
Both the mother and the child were saved, according to the statement, which also stated that the infant had been turned over to the Ministry of Women Affairs for protective custody and the mother had been restored to her family for appropriate care and medical attention.
According to the statement, the suspects were being held by the police while the State Criminal Investigation Department conducted an investigation. Once the investigation was finished, they would face charges in court.
Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, the Abia Commissioner of Police, reaffirmed the command’s dedication to safeguarding vulnerable individuals and making sure those who commit such crimes are prosecuted.
