The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested Christiana Ibanga and her boyfriend, Inyene Akpan, for their alleged involvement in human trafficking, after selling their child for N450,000.
The state’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, revealed the arrests during a press briefing at the police headquarters in Ikot-Akpanabia, Uyo, on Wednesday. According to John, the suspects were apprehended after a woman (identity withheld) reported that Ibanga had lured her six-year-old daughter and taken her to an unknown location.
Upon receiving the complaint, the police acted swiftly, tracking down the suspects. During interrogation, both Ibanga and Akpan admitted to selling their child for N450,000 in 2024, with help from an accomplice, Saviour Aniedi. Ibanga further confessed that she and Aniedi, along with his wife, had abducted the complainant’s child, who was then sold in Aba, Abia State, to an unidentified buyer.
The police also revealed that an operation has been launched in Aba to locate the buyer, with progress already being made. “On January 23, 2025, our investigators extended their efforts to Aba in pursuit of both the buyer and the child. Although the suspects in Aba remain at large, we are closing in on them, and their arrest is imminent,” John stated.
The police spokesperson also warned criminals that they faced two choices: reform or face capture. She noted that several suspected drug dealers, mostly women, had been arrested in recent operations, and weapons had been recovered.
John highlighted a major raid on January 26, 2025, aimed at dismantling criminal activity in identified black spots. During the operation, a female suspect, Happiness Malachi George, was arrested for selling Indian hemp. Other raids led to the capture of two women, Queen Sambo Umoren and Joy Chima Inyene-Obong Patrick Michael, who were found in possession of drugs and a jackknife. Additionally, Ekemini-Abasi Micah Silas, 32, was caught setting up an illegal roadblock and found with illicit drugs.
While some suspects managed to escape, the police assured the public that efforts to apprehend them were ongoing.
