The Abia State Police Command has arrested four persons, including the biological father of a 16-month-old girl, over an alleged attempt to traffic the child for financial gain.
The suspects were apprehended on September 7, 2026, by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Gender Unit, at a hotel in Obi, Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Wilfred Afolabi, disclosed the development on Friday while briefing journalists on the achievements of the Command since he assumed office on August 10.
Afolabi said the suspects had been transferred from the Central Police Station, Umuahia, in connection with allegations of conspiracy and child trafficking.
According to the Commissioner, preliminary investigations established that the 16-month-old girl was the biological daughter of one of the suspects.
He further disclosed that the investigation indicated that the alleged attempt to traffic the child was driven by the desire to make money.
The police rescued the child during the operation and subsequently handed her over to the Ministry of Women Affairs for protection and appropriate care, while the four suspects remained in police custody as investigations continued.
The Commissioner said the arrest formed part of the Command's wider efforts to combat criminal activities and protect vulnerable persons, particularly women and children, across the state.
Afolabi also revealed that the Command had recorded more than 152 criminal cases and arrested over 220 suspects since he assumed office.
He said several of the cases had been concluded and charged to court, while the Command had also rescued nine kidnapped victims, recovered 101 rounds of ammunition and cartridges, six stolen vehicles, including tricycles and motorcycles, and dismantled two criminal networks.
Among the major breakthroughs recorded by the Command, he said, was the rescue of a medical doctor who was allegedly kidnapped by armed men on August 19.
According to him, the victim was forced into his vehicle before the abductors fled towards Imo State.
He explained that the use of vehicle-tracking technology, coupled with coordinated intelligence operations involving the Abia and Imo State Police Commands, led to the recovery of the vehicle and the rescue of the victim in the early hours of August 20.
Afolabi added that several persons allegedly connected to the kidnapping, including suspects believed to have assisted in the movement or distribution of ransom money, had been arrested, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the suspected network.
In another operation, the Commissioner disclosed the arrest of a suspect allegedly linked to an armed robbery and kidnapping incident along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in Aba.
The suspect was reportedly arrested following the robbery of a woman who was dispossessed of her Toyota Highlander, mobile phones, handbag and other personal belongings.
The police authorities assured residents that the Command would continue to intensify intelligence-led operations against criminal elements and strengthen measures aimed at protecting lives and property across Abia State.