In a major breakthrough for child protection and law enforcement, the Anambra State Police Command has taken custody of thirty-six (36) individuals—including twenty-nine rescued minors and six suspected human exploiters—following a coordinated sting operation targeting child labor and street hawking networks.
The suspects and victims were transferred to the state command headquarters on Monday, June 29, 2026, by the Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs.
The enforcement operation, which took place in the commercial hub of Nnewi, successfully pulled 29 children and youth, aged between 6 and 44 years, off the streets. Concurrently, security operatives clamped down on the handlers allegedly profiting from their exploitation. The police officially identified the six arrested suspects as Anyingo Glory, Nwafor Godwin, Chukwudi Ofoke, Chinenye Anyingo, Okwudili Ifeoma, and Moses Anyingo.
Confirming the development, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that the Command has launched a comprehensive profiling and identification process. The exercise aims to uncover the exact circumstances behind the victims’ exploitation and coordinate with neighboring states to safely reunite the rescued children with their families.
Reacting to the handover, the Commissioner of Police for Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, PhD, issued a stern warning to syndicates using minors for commercial gain.
“Child labor and street hawking are not just economic survival tactics; they expose vulnerable children to severe hazards, including ritual killers, human traffickers, physical abuse, and criminal radicalization,” CP Orutugu warned. “The Command is entirely committed to enforcing the law, and anyone found culpable of exploiting these children will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
The Command urged parents, guardians, and the general public to protect minors from hazardous labor, while appealing to residents of the state to actively utilize the police emergency channels to report cases of child abuse, neglect, or suspicious trafficking rings.
The ongoing joint operation highlights a tightened partnership between law enforcement and the Ministry of Women Affairs to permanently rid Anambra’s major cities—including Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi—of systemic child exploitation.
