Four children were rescued by the Rivers State Police Command in Nigeria as they dismantled a child trafficking syndicate in the Rumukwachi community near Port Harcourt. The operation took place on December 2, 2024, and involved the arrest of two suspects, Esther Anthony and Purity Silas.
The rescued children, aged between one and 13 years, were found lodged at Alaeze Guest House, where they were reportedly about to be trafficked. The managing director of the guest house became suspicious of Esther Anthony’s activities and refused to let her check out with the children without their mother being present. This led Anthony to leave and return with police officers, falsely claiming that the guest house manager had abducted the children. However, the managing director contacted the police, which resulted in Anthony’s arrest
Preliminary investigations revealed that Anthony had conspired with an accomplice named Favour to traffic the children from the Swali community in Bayelsa State. Notably, she was previously identified by another family as having stolen three of their children in Port Harcourt and sold them to a woman named Loveth. Both suspects have confessed to their involvement in the trafficking scheme and are currently in police custody, awaiting charges
The rescued children have since been reunited with their families, highlighting the ongoing efforts of the Rivers State Police Command to combat child trafficking and ensure justice for victims
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