Operatives of the Abia State Police Command have arrested three women for alleged child stealing and rescued two 3-year-old children who have since been reunited with their parents.
The Command’s public relations officer DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The suspects, Vera Imiobong Udoyang, 30, of Etimekpo LGA, Akwa Ibom State; Chioma Duru Ukanwoke, 40, of Amaraku Isiala Mbano, Imo State; and Ezinne Ukandu, 41, of Obingwa LGA, Abia State, were apprehended on May 10, 2026.
According to the Command, operatives of Akwete Divisional Police Headquarters, working with community vigilantes, arrested Udoyang in Abia State after she was found with the children, identified as Caleb Tamunoye Paul and Joy David, both of Okrika, Rivers State.
During interrogation, Udoyang confessed to stealing the children after luring them with donuts and soft drinks at Ozoaporo in Okrika, where she resides, police said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Udoyang was contacted by Ukanwoke, who had been contacted by Ukandu. Police said Ukandu was allegedly contacted by a welfare officer identified only as Chioma, who is currently at large, to source for a 3-year-old male child or arrange an adoption.
The three suspects are in custody while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the welfare officer, the Command said. The rescued children have been safely reunited with their parents, and investigations are continuing at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID.
Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Danladi Isa, urged parents and guardians to remain security conscious and ensure the safety of their children.
He advised children not to accept items from strangers or follow unknown persons, and called on the public to report suspicious individuals seen with children to the nearest police station or through the Command’s emergency hotlines: 08035415405, 08079210004, 08079210005, and 08079210006.
