POLICE operatives in Ondo State have rescued a four-year-old girl who was stolen and sold for ₦3.7 million, exposing a sprawling child-trafficking syndicate that operated across Ondo, Delta, and Anambra States.
News Point Nigeria reports that the victim, identified as Jesinta Sunday, was declared missing on February 3, 2025, when her father, Sunday Kingsley, reported to the police in Akure that his daughter had vanished while staying with her mother, Sunday Happiness.
According to the spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, Olusola Ayanlade, the case was immediately escalated to the Monitoring Unit of the Command Headquarters for discreet investigation.
Initial findings led to the remand of Jesinta’s mother, Sunday Happiness, and another suspect, Nneka Onah, at the Ondo Correctional Centre, before both were later granted bail by a Family Magistrate Court.
The major breakthrough, however, came on July 9, 2025, when the girl’s father alerted police that his missing daughter had been sighted in Asaba, Delta State. Acting swiftly, detectives from the Gender Desk Team launched a tactical operation that successfully rescued Jesinta and brought her back safely to Akure.
Further investigations revealed a complex network of traffickers who disguised their illegal trade as adoption services.
One of the key suspects, Amaka Chukwuemeka (30 years old), confessed to purchasing the child for ₦3.7 million. She revealed that her friend, Chinaza Owoh (38 years old), connected her to Mabel Esimai (58 years old), who facilitated the transaction using forged adoption documents.
Esimai, during interrogation, admitted that she had received the child from Chioma Okechukwu (37 years old) with explicit instructions to secure a buyer.
The Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Adebowale Lawal, praised the Gender Desk Team for its precision and dedication, stressing that the operation not only reunited Jesinta with her family but also exposed a dangerous network preying on vulnerable children.
“This Command will ensure that all collaborators in this wicked trade face the full weight of the law. Ondo State cannot and will not serve as a haven for child traffickers or any criminal syndicate,” Lawal declared.
He further assured residents that the police remain committed to protecting lives and property while intensifying efforts to dismantle human trafficking rings operating within and beyond the state.
