By Sophia Afolabi
The Nigeria Police Force has rescued twelve trafficked children from an illegal orphanage operating under the guise of a residential apartment in Aba, Abia State.
In a statement released by Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, police operatives uncovered the children aged between six months and 14 years during a raid on an unregistered and unlawful motherless babies’ home located along Ikot Ekpene Road.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the children originated from various villages in the Arochukwu area,” the statement said.
The rescued minors have been transferred to the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs for care and rehabilitation. Two suspects, believed to be operators of the facility, have been arrested and are currently under interrogation. Police confirmed they will be charged upon the conclusion of investigations.
In a separate operation, officers of the Kogi State Police Command intercepted a green Sharon vehicle that dangerously sped through a checkpoint. Following a high-speed chase, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled into a nearby forest.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered a major cache of weapons, including: Five AK-47 rifles, Eight magazines, 283 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition, 62 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, Two rounds of 7.62x59mm ammunition.
Preliminary intelligence links the recovered arms to a recent armed robbery at a filling station in Kabba. Investigations are ongoing, and efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspect are in progress.
The Nigeria Police Force reiterated its commitment to dismantling human trafficking rings and curbing the proliferation of illegal arms across the country.
