The Abia State Police Command has arrested four suspects over alleged conspiracy, child stealing and trafficking in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi.
She identified the suspects as Gladys Nathaniel, 48; Victor Udochukwu, 47; Chijioke Obunwa, 59; and Onyeonoro Chinwe, 43.
According to the police, “acting on credible and actionable intelligence, operatives of the Violent Crimes Response Unit, VCRU), Rapid Response Unit, RRU Obehie, on 16/09/2026, arrested the above-mentioned suspects for conspiracy, child stealing and trafficking.
“The suspects allegedly conspired to steal a 4-day-old baby from her mentally unstable mother and subsequently sold the infant to another person. They were apprehended following diligent police investigation”.
The statement said the baby and the mother were rescued, adding that the mother had been released to her family for proper care and medical attention, while the infant had been handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs for protective custody.
The suspects, the statement said, were currently in police custody, while investigation was ongoing at the State Criminal Investigation Department, after which they would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.
The Abia Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring that perpetrators of such crimes were brought to justice.
