Police Dismantle Child Trafficking Syndicate in Rivers, Rescue Four Children

The Rivers State Police Command has uncovered a child trafficking ring in the Rumukwachi Community near Port Harcourt, rescuing four children aged between one and 13 years.

Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko revealed that the children were discovered in a guest house, ready to be trafficked. Two suspects, Esther Anthony and Purity Silas, were arrested, with Anthony identified as a repeat offender in child theft cases.

Investigations revealed plans to hand over the children to a nurse running an illegal maternity home. A vigilant guest house manager alerted authorities after Anthony falsely accused them of abducting the children.

 

The suspects have confessed and remain in custody pending trial. Meanwhile, the rescued children have been reunited with their families, as police reaffirm their commitment to combating child trafficking.

meanwhile

No fewer than 50,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Kogi State, according to the Acting Executive Secretary of the Kogi State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Ibrahim Anate. Speaking at a road walk in Lokoja to mark World AIDS Day 2024, Anate revealed that 36,066 of them are currently receiving treatment.

Anate emphasized the government’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, including raising awareness in remote communities and ensuring that HIV-positive pregnant women deliver healthy, HIV-negative babies. He urged Governor Usman Ododo to sign the Anti-Stigma HIV Law, recently passed by the State Assembly, to help reduce stigma and encourage openness about HIV status.

Inyama Lawrencia of the Centre for Integrated Health Programmes highlighted the challenge of mother-to-child transmission and called for increased antenatal participation, despite economic constraints hindering some women