Father and Three Arrested for Attempting to Sell Daughter

On September 7, 2026, the Abia State Police Command arrested a father and three accomplices for allegedly attempting to sell and traffic his 16-month-old biological daughter. The arrests were made by operatives from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Gender Unit, at a hotel in Obi, Obingwa Local Government Area.

Commissioner of Police Wilfred Afolabi announced the arrests on Friday, stating that the suspects were transferred from the Central Police Station, Umuahia, due to allegations of conspiracy and child trafficking. Preliminary investigations confirmed that the child was indeed the biological daughter of one of the suspects and indicated that the motive for the trafficking attempt was financial gain.

The child has been rescued and is now in the custody of the Ministry of Women Affairs, while the suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. Afolabi also reported that since his assumption of office on August 10, the command has recorded over 152 criminal cases and arrested more than 220 suspects.