The Niger State Police Command has rescued three more children and arrested three additional suspects linked to an ongoing child abduction and trafficking ring.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said the arrests were made on 28 November during operations in Nasarawa and Abuja.
According to the command, the suspects arrested are Chioma Onyanja of Nyanya, Abuja, Joy Ndife of Kurudu, Abuja, and Olusegun Anjorin of Orozo, Abuja.
Mr Abiodun said the rescued children are five-month-old Saifullahi Abdulmumini, four-year-old Possible Danlami, and one-and-a-half-year-old Safiya Sani, all of whom were “found in the custody of the suspected receivers.”
Police said Ms Onyanja claimed she received the infant through her pastor, whom she said described the child as unwanted.
“She paid two million, seven hundred thousand naira for the child,” the statement said.
Ms Ndife, who operates an orphanage in Mararaba, allegedly tried to arrange the sale of another child before her arrest.
Mr Olusegun, a pastor, also reportedly paid one million naira for a child he claimed was abandoned with one Victoria, the prime suspect.
The command confirmed that all three children have been reunited with their families, bringing the total number of recovered children to nine and suspects in custody to eleven.
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In a separate operation, police arrested two men in Suleja for allegedly selling adulterated fuel.
The suspects, Emekomah Prosper and Alhassan Abubakar, confessed to buying and distributing a chemical product called naphtha, which was mixed with petrol and sold as Premium Motor Spirit.
The command also reported the arrest of 23 suspected thugs after violent clashes in parts of Minna.
One young man, identified as Bello Mohammed, was found dead following an overnight fight among rival groups.
Mr Abiodun said investigations across all cases are ongoing, and efforts continue to track other missing children, suspected traffickers and accomplices involved in the illegal fuel network.
