Two Arrested for Attempted Child Trafficking in Cross River

On March 2, 2023, police arrested two suspects, Happi Etim Udoh and Ekpo Inyang, in Odukpani Local Government Area, Cross River, for allegedly attempting to sell a one-month-old baby. The mother of the child, Favour Effiong, reported to the community that Udoh had persuaded her to bring the baby under the pretext of receiving financial assistance for the child's upkeep.

Following this, the community's youth laid an ambush based on a tip-off and subsequently apprehended the suspects. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly planned to snatch and sell the baby to a woman in Abuja.

During interrogation, the suspects confessed to previously selling a child for N200,000 to a buyer in Abuja, who allegedly pretended to be pregnant. The police have since recovered the baby and returned it to the mother, while investigations continue to identify and apprehend other members of the trafficking network, emphasizing the commitment to tackling child trafficking and protecting vulnerable children across the state.