Police Rescue 4-Year-Old Girl, Bust ₦3.7m Child-Trafficking Syndicate in Ondo
Chukwu Obinna 
AKURE, Nigeria – Police operatives in Ondo State have rescued a missing four-year-old girl and uncovered a child-trafficking syndicate spanning Ondo, Delta, and Anambra States.
The case began on February 3, 2025, when Sunday Kingsley of Alagbaka Extension, Akure, reported that his daughter, Jesinta, went missing while staying with her mother, Sunday Happiness.
According to State Police Command spokesman, Olusola Ayanlade in a statement on Thursday, the matter was transferred to the Monitoring Unit for investigation and later brought before the Family Magistrate Court. Jesinta’s mother, Sunday Happiness, and another woman, Nneka Onah, were remanded at the Ondo Correctional Centre before being granted bail.
On July 9, 2025, Kingsley informed police that the missing child had been sighted in Asaba, Delta State. Detectives from the Gender Desk Team moved swiftly, recovering the girl safely and returning her to Akure.
The breakthrough also exposed a trafficking network. One suspect, Amaka Chukwuemeka (30), confessed she bought Jesinta for ₦3.7 million. She named her accomplices:
Chinaza Owoh (38), who linked her to the deal, Mabel Esimai (58), who released the child with forged adoption documents, and Chioma Okechukwu (37), who initially handed over the child with instructions to find a buyer.
Ondo Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, praised the Gender Desk Team and ordered deeper investigations to dismantle the network.
“Ondo State cannot and will not be a safe haven for child traffickers,” Lawal declared, assuring the public of the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives.
About the Author
Korede Abdullah 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Hussaini Ibrahim