Joy returned to six families in Abia State on Thursday after police rescued their children and arrested a man accused of trafficking them.
The operation was carried out by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit in Aba North, following what the police described as credible intelligence.
According to the Abia State Police Command, the children were found at the home of the suspect during the raid.
Addressing journalists, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Maureen Chinaka, identified the suspect as Nnamdi Lazarus, 51. She said he hails from Mbano in Imo State but has been living in Uratta, Aba.
“Upon receiving credible information, our operatives moved in swiftly and rescued the six children who were being kept at his residence,” Chinaka said in a statement issued on Thursday.
She explained that after due verification, the children were safely reunited with their families.
The police said investigations are still ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the suspected trafficking network. Chinaka added that Lazarus will face prosecution once the probe is concluded.
The spokesperson also used the opportunity to restate the command’s commitment to intelligence-driven policing.
“Our priority is to protect lives and property in Abia State. We will not allow criminal elements to operate freely anywhere in the state,” she said.
For residents of Aba, the rescue comes as a huge relief. Reports of child abductions have sparked fear in the commercial city in recent months, and Thursday’s operation offered a rare moment of hope.