Three Suspected Human Trafficking Syndicates Tracked Down In Anambra Community

By Chuks Eke*

The Anambra State Government, through the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, and security personnel apprehended three suspected human trafficking syndicates operating in Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state.

The arrest came after the community’s chairman, Arinzechukwu Azodo, notified the State Commissioner of Women Affairs Ministry, Ify Obinabo, of the situation.

Azodo stated that the commander of his team alerted him to a report of suspected trafficking acts in the community, and he promptly informed the commissioner, who instructed him to proceed with the assistance of security personnel to apprehend the individuals involved.

He explained that after the arrest, they discovered that the suspects were about to seal a human trafficking deal worth a million naira.

On her part, one of the suspects, Ebere from Ukpo in the same local government area of the state, revealed that one of the suspects, Temple Nwankwo, her very good friend, approached her one day and informed her that she had twin babies for sale, despite the fact that she had already sold one of the twins.

Ebere stated, “I agreed to collaborate with her and went so far as to connect her with a prospective buyer who urgently needed a male child.” After the negotiation, we agreed to meet at Oye Agu to finalise the transaction, but Temple requested an immediate payment of one million naira in her account, which the buyer objected to because he had not seen the baby in question, causing us to disagree before Temple changed her mind and left them.”

Temple Nwankwo, an alleged seller from Enugu State who now lives in Ifitedunu, denied ever having done business with Ebere, explaining that she only reconnected with her when she was four months pregnant.

In her defence, Temple stated that it was Ebere who requested her assistance in obtaining a male child because she has been unable to have her own child.

Temple confessed, “After Ebere made the request, I warned her never to involve me in such an act, and since that day, Ebere has been coming to my house in my absence to meet my daughter, despite several warnings.”

Members of the community believe Temple was involved in trafficking with her husband Ndubuisi as an accomplice, as they have not seen some of her children in a long time.

When questioned about the whereabouts of their two children, the couple claimed they were dead but could not say where they were buried.

At this point, Ify Obinabo, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra, who was visibly saddened by the incident, handed them over to the police for further investigation.

Obinabo reiterated the state government’s commitment to ending trafficking in the state and warned that anyone caught doing so would not be spared.

The Minister of Women Affairs also advised the public to remain vigilant and contact the ministry if they suspect anything fishy.

The Commissioner was not satisfied with the responses to other questions about the deaths of the two children.