A total of 16 children, believed to be victims of trafficking, have been rescued from their captors in the Osuoha area of Port Harcourt. The incident gained widespread attention after a video went viral on social media, showing the children and appealing to good Samaritans to help identify their parents.
Although the Rivers State Police Command has yet to release an official statement, and messages sent to the Public Relations Officer remain unanswered, investigations by our correspondent have provided some clarity on the situation.
According to a high-ranking police source who requested anonymity, there was an altercation at a compound in Ozuoba when two women, suspected of being part of a human trafficking ring, were arrested by plainclothes operatives from an unidentified security agency. These women had been acting as the children's guardians until their arrest.
Following the women's apprehension, the children caused a disturbance, prompting the Divisional Police Officer of the Ozuoba division to take them all into custody. Our correspondent has learned that the children were later transferred from Ozuoba Police Station to the CP Monitoring Unit at the Old GRA Police Station, where they remain under protective custody.
Interestingly, as of the time of this report, the police are still attempting to determine the whereabouts of the two women and which security agency was responsible for their arrest.
In total, 16 children, ranging in age from 5 to 16, have been recovered. Of these, nine are girls, and seven are boys. This incident is not the first case of child trafficking handled by the Rivers State Police Command.
