A 5-year-old boy who was declared missing has been found by the Imo State Police Command. The boy, who was stolen from his mother’s shop at No. 22 Chimezie Street, Obohia, Aba, Abia State, was located during a stop-and-search operation by the Imo State Police operational team on February 7, 2025, along the Okigwe-Port Harcourt Expressway.
The 40-year-old woman trafficker, Mrs. Onyinyechi Emeka, a native of Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, according to the Imo State Police Command through their spokesperson, DSP Okoye, was en route to Ebonyi State when luck ran out for her. Upon interrogation, she initially claimed that the boy was her sister’s son, which raised suspicion in her statements. The boy displayed remarkable awareness, providing his father’s phone number, which led to his identification as a missing child reported in Abia State.
Further investigation revealed that the trafficker had received #30,000 from a syndicate, which remains at large, to deliver the child to a buyer in Ebonyi State.
The parents of the stolen child were overjoyed at the recovery of their son and thanked God for showing them mercy during this difficult time. The father, while reuniting with his son, expressed his gratitude to the police for their good work in recovering his child and for their efforts in curbing crime in the society.
According to DSP Okoye, the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation to apprehend the other members of the syndicate who are still at large. He stated that the suspect would be charged in court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
