Crime
NAPTIP Secures 15-Year Jail Term for Baby Trafficking Couple
NAPTIP secures 15-year jail term each for a couple convicted of trafficking babies in Cross River State by a Federal High Court in Calabar
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP has secured the conviction of a couple for trafficking babies in Cross River State.
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The convicts, Esther Ini Udo, 32, and Eyo Stephen Udo, 34, were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment each by a Federal High Court sitting in Calabar.
The couple was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on the buying and selling of babies for exploitation under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
NAPTIP said the first convict sold her newborn baby for N300,000 to a buyer identified as Oluchi Judith, who is currently at large.
The agency also revealed that the couple purchased a one-year-old baby boy for N150,000 from two individuals and later resold the child for N400,000 to the same buyer.
The offences were contained in charge FHC/CA/19C/2025, filed on March 19, 2025.
Both defendants initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Delivering judgment on April 1, 2026, Justice I. Ojukwu sentenced each convict to 15 years in prison, with an option of a N2 million fine.
The court ordered that the sentences will run concurrently from the date of judgment.
Justice Ojukwu condemned the act and warned against child trafficking for financial gain.
The court also directed NAPTIP to arrest and prosecute the alleged buyer, Oluchi Judith, for her role in the crime.
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The ruling is part of ongoing efforts to curb human trafficking and child exploitation across Nigeria.
Police have arrested a 19-year-old suspect over a stolen phone in Anambra, following an intelligence-led operation in Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old suspect over an allegedly stolen Infinix Android phone linked to Adamawa State.
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The suspect, identified as Mustapha Sani, was arrested on October 19, 2026, by operatives of the State Intelligence Department in Awka following an intelligence-led operation, the police said.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed the arrest in a statement on Thursday, adding that preliminary findings suggested the suspect had allegedly stolen mobile phones from unsuspecting victims in Adamawa before travelling to Anambra.
According to the police, the devices were reportedly intended for sale or personal use after the suspect fled the state.
“The recovered phone is currently being investigated to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged offence,” Ikenga said.
He added that investigators were working to determine the suspect’s alleged involvement and facilitate the return of the recovered device to its rightful owner.
The command said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged theft and determine whether the suspect was involved in other offences.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Nnanna Ama, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to combating crime, recovering stolen property and ensuring that suspects were dealt with in accordance with the law.
Ama also assured residents and visitors that the police would continue intelligence-led operations and proactive patrols to protect lives and property and maintain public order across the state.
The arrest comes amid other reported cases involving mobile phone theft and alleged financial fraud in the region.
In a separate incident, the Borno State Police Command reportedly arrested six suspects over the alleged theft of a mobile phone and the unlawful withdrawal of N5.65m from the owner’s bank account.
The victim, identified as Abba K., reportedly told police that his Infinix Smart 8 phone went missing from his pocket after he alighted from a commercial tricycle on October 13, 2026, along Damboa Road in Maiduguri.
The Borno case remains separate from the Anambra investigation.
The Anambra police have not disclosed whether the 19-year-old suspect has been charged in court.
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He remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
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