Police rescue 12 stolen teenagers, suspected arrest in IMO – Daily Trust

The IMO State Police Command discovered a minor traffic operation that involved 12 children stolen along the Owerri-ABA highway.

Henry Okoye, head of public relations of the State Police, in a declaration sent to Daily Trust, said that the main suspicion was arrested.

According to Okoye, the rescue was carried out following an intelligence relationship.

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He said the investigations revealed that the children were used for street begging.

By providing further details on Sunday, Okoye said that the suspicion, Ann Ngozi Enyenwa, 42, from Umbudim Ohekelem in Ngor-Okpala LGA, was arrested during a stop-and-ricerca operation on 20 June 2025, along the highway. The operation led to the rescue of twelve suspicions stolen children.

“This arrest exposed a disturbing minor trafficking network that used minors for street begging in Abia, in the state of Abia. At its arrest, the suspect was found with several children whose physical conditions immediately lifted suspicion. The case was transferred to the IGP X-Squad unit for a discreet investigation,” said Okoye.

During the interrogation, the suspicion confessed to the trafficking of children from Ngor-Okpala to Aba, where they were forced to ask for the road.

He also stated that the proceeds of exploitation were presumably sent to Shalom Motherless Bamboies at home in Okenyi, Eche LGA, state of sparrows, where he claimed to be used.

During the operation, twelve children aged between 5 and 13 years were saved.

Okoye observed that the victims are currently in police custody for further investigations.

He urged the members of the public who can recognize any of the saved children or have relevant information on their families to come forward.