Operatives of the Imo State Police Command has announced the arrest of two female suspects: Joy Ugwu and Rosella Michael, allegedly involved in a child trafficking operation, in which they attempted to sell a four-year-old boy, Jaffa Umar, who was abducted in Abuja in Owerri, the state capital, for N2.7 million.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Henry Okoye, disclosed this to newsmen in a statement in Owerri, the state capital.
Ugwu was said to be from Idah, Kogi State, while Michael is from Zamba, the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
A third accomplice, said to be a nurse, remains at large.
Okoye said: “The Imo State Police Command has uncovered a suspected case of child trafficking, leading to the arrest of two female suspects and the rescue of a four-year-old boy.
“Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Scorpion Unit intercepted the suspects—Joy Ugwu and Rosella Michael—in Owerri on April 14, 2025, at about 6pm, following a discreet operation.
“Investigations revealed that the boy, Jaffa Umar, who speaks Hausa fluently, was abducted in Abuja while hawking vegetables.
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“The suspects had transported him to Owerri and were in the process of negotiating a sale for N2.7 million before their arrest.
“A third accomplice, believed to be a nurse, is currently at large.”
Okoye said Umar has since been safely reunited with his family through coordinated efforts between the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters in Abuja, adding that the two suspects have been transferred to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja for further investigation and prosecution.
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