The Ebonyi State Police Command has rescued an 11-year-old girl who was sold for N4 million to a woman operating through a fraudulent adoption network.
The suspect, identified as Mrs. Ibekwe, was apprehended following an investigation into the girl’s disappearance. Preliminary interrogations reveal that the child was sold for N4 million under the guise of a legitimate child welfare process, which served as a front for an illegal trafficking operation.
The rescue operation has led to the detention of Mrs. Ibekwe, as police work to dismantle the wider network responsible for the procurement and sale of the child. The girl is currently under police protection while authorities coordinate her reunification with her biological family.
Investigation into Illegal Adoption Networks
According to the police spokesperson, the investigation uncovered a sophisticated scheme where illegal adoption networks disguise their activities as child welfare services. These networks typically target vulnerable families or exploit systemic gaps in child protection services to move children into the hands of buyers for significant sums of money.
In this instance, the network allegedly presented the transaction to Mrs. Ibekwe as a legal adoption, providing a veneer of legitimacy to the crime. However, police findings indicate that no legal protocols were followed and the transaction was a purely commercial exchange involving a minor.
Child trafficking remains a persistent security challenge in Nigeria, often involving the sale of children for domestic labour or illegal adoption. Such activities violate the Child Rights Act 2003, which prohibits the sale of children and mandates that the best interests of the child must be the primary consideration in all legal proceedings regarding adoption.
The Ebonyi State Police Command is now expanding its probe to identify the middlemen who facilitated the sale. Police are searching for the individuals who operated the fake welfare agency and any other buyers who may have used the same network to procure children.
Human rights organisations in Nigeria have frequently called for stricter monitoring of private adoption agencies to prevent the commodification of children. The use of “welfare processes” to mask trafficking is a known tactic used by syndicates to avoid detection by law enforcement and social workers.
The suspect remains in custody and faces charges related to child trafficking and abduction. The police have stated that the case will be handled in accordance with Nigerian law, and the recovered child will be provided with necessary psychological support before being returned to her parents.
The command is currently reviewing the records of the illegal network to determine if other children have been sold through similar channels within the state.
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