Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a disturbing revelation of ongoing human trafficking and exploitation in southeastern Nigeria, security forces in Anambra State have uncovered and dismantled a suspected child trafficking operation, leading to the rescue of dozens of underage girls who had been held in conditions associated with forced prostitution and exploitation. The breakthrough, carried out in early January, sheds light on the persistence of trafficking networks that prey on vulnerable children, sometimes across state lines, deceiving families and communities with false promises of opportunity.
The Anambra State Police Command, acting on intelligence and reports from concerned relatives, launched a raid on January 7, 2026, in the Aguleri area of Anambra East Local Government Area. Officers attached to the Rapid Response Squad conducted the operation at a compound suspected of serving as a hub for trafficking and exploitation. During the raid, 33 underage girls were recovered from the premises, many of whom had been reported missing by their families months earlier.
According to authorities, three of the rescued girls — identified as Divine Mbam (14), Nwagu Favour (15) and Oke Blessing (18) — had been abducted in Ebonyi State in September 2025 before being taken to the Aguleri location. Their families had lost contact with them after their disappearance, prompting distress reports to the police that helped trigger the investigation. Preliminary inquiries suggest that the building where the girls were found was being used to facilitate trafficking and prostitution, perpetuating the exploitation of minors by individuals allegedly linked to organised criminal networks.
One woman — 37-year-old Ifeoma Success Anthony — has been arrested in connection with the operations, while another alleged key figure believed to own the property, a 45-year-old woman named Ngozi Nnanyelugo, remains at large and is actively sought by law enforcement. Police spokespersons have stated that further investigations are underway to determine the extent of the network, identify other suspects involved in the trafficking ring, and secure additional arrests as evidence is gathered.
The rescue has drawn strong condemnation from the Anambra State Government, which described the exploitation of children in such a manner as a gross violation of fundamental rights and societal norms. In an official statement, state information officials reiterated that any form of child trafficking, sexual exploitation or abuse is unacceptable and runs counter to both local laws and national commitments to child protection. They noted that allegations of forced sexual exploitation and trafficking fall squarely within violations of the Child Rights Act and federal anti-trafficking legislation, which carry significant legal penalties for perpetrators if proven in court.
Government authorities have pledged full cooperation with security agencies to ensure that all facilities found to be complicit in such activities are sealed and shut down, and that individuals who engage in or facilitate the exploitation of minors are identified and prosecuted. Residents have also been urged to remain vigilant and to report suspicious activities, with assurances that state emergency contact systems will protect the confidentiality of whistle-blowers.
The rescued girls are currently under the care of welfare professionals who are conducting assessments of their physical and psychological wellbeing. Support services include medical attention, counselling and rehabilitation, and efforts are being made to reunite victims with their families where possible. Civil society organisations and child welfare advocates have emphasised the importance of sustained psychosocial support for survivors, recognising that the trauma associated with trafficking and exploitation can have long-lasting effects.
The Anambra rescue comes amid broader concerns about human trafficking trends in Nigeria, where organised networks often exploit economic hardship and social vulnerability to recruit and control victims, sometimes transporting them across state borders or even internationally. Law enforcement agencies across the region have been engaged in an ongoing push to disrupt such networks, with varied reports in recent months of successful interventions that have freed kidnapped or trafficked children in different parts of the country.
Experts on trafficking note that multiple factors contribute to the persistence of such crimes, including poverty, limited access to quality education and employment opportunities, and gaps in community awareness about the tactics traffickers use to lure victims. Many families are misled by false offers of legitimate work or educational prospects, only to find that their children are trapped in exploitative conditions with restricted freedom and little hope of escape until law enforcement intervenes.
Child protection advocates have called for enhanced inter-agency coordination, improved public awareness campaigns and stronger preventive measures at community levels to reduce the risk that children fall prey to traffickers. They have also emphasised the need for comprehensive rehabilitation programmes that address not only the immediate safety of survivors but also their long-term reintegration into society with dignity and support.
As authorities continue to pursue all leads in this case, the operation has underscored both the urgent need for vigilance and the potential for community cooperation with law enforcement to lead to significant breakthroughs in protecting children from exploitation. The recovery of the underage girls in Aguleri stands as a stark reminder of the entrenched challenges that trafficking poses, even as it galvanises renewed determination among officials and activists to combat such abuses and hold perpetrators accountable under the law.
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