The Ondo State Police Command has announced the rescue of a 4-year-old girl and the dismantling of a child-trafficking syndicate operating across Ondo, Delta, and Anambra States.
Police spokesperson, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka Olushola, in a statement on Thursday, said the breakthrough came after months of investigation following the disappearance of little Jesinta Sunday, daughter of one Sunday Kingsley of Alagbaka Extension, Akure.
Jesinta was reported missing on February 3, 2025, while in the custody of her mother, Sunday Happiness. The case was initially charged before the Family Magistrate Court, which remanded Happiness and another woman, Nneka Onah, at the Ondo Correctional Centre before they were later granted bail.
A fresh lead emerged on July 9 when the complainant sighted his missing daughter in Asaba, Delta State. Detectives from the Command’s Gender Desk swung into action and recovered the child safely.
The operation also led to the arrest of 30-year-old Amaka Chukwuemeka, who admitted buying the child for ₦3.7 million. She confessed she was introduced by a friend, Chinaza Owoh (38), to a 58-year-old woman, Mabel Esimai, who handed over the child under the guise of adoption, backed with forged documents.
Further investigations revealed that Esimai had received the child from another suspect, 37-year-old Chioma Okechukwu, with instructions to secure a buyer.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, commended the swift and professional action of the Gender Desk Team, assuring the public that all suspects will face prosecution and that child traffickers will find no haven in Ondo State.
The Police Command reiterated its commitment to tackling crime with renewed energy and urged citizens to remain vigilant.
