The Ebonyi State Police Command said it arrested three suspected child traffickers and rescued no fewer than 32 victims in the state.
DSP Loveth Odah, the Command’s Spokesperson, made the disclosure during a news conference in Abakaliki on Friday.
Odah said that the 32 victims rescued were 16 males and 16 females.
Odah said the victims were indigenes of Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River and Benue States.
She said that the three suspects were arrested after series of investigation on report of a missing person.
She said: “On January 7, at about 9:30 hours, a case of a missing person was reported by Mrs. Ijeoma Nwankor of Uterufie village, Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state.
“She told the command that her daughter, Chidera, age 16, left home to an unknown destination.
“In the course of our investigation, a company’s advertisement sheet captured: ‘NEO Life,’ containing a phone number was found in the daughter’s room.
“The owner of the phone number, who was later identified as Christian Nwankwo, ‘M’ and age 19 years was trailed and arrested.
“The suspect made useful information to the police and led the operatives to their hideout at Okposi Umuaghara, Ezza Local Government Area of the state, where two other gang members were arrested.”
The spokesperson further said it was alleged that the victim was being used for forced labour and sexual exploitation in the name of networking for NEO Life Company products.
Odah urged members of the public to steer clear of crime.