The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Imo State holds one Tochukwu Ogaranya, 52, alongside five pregnant women aged between 25 and 33 in its custody for alleged child trafficking. and have rescued five newborn babies from the suspects.
Mr Basil Igwebueze, the NSCDC Commandant in Imo, confirmed these facts during his briefing while briefing newsmen on the recent exploits by the command.
He stated that the suspects included an alleged accomplice, Godwin Nnamdi, 47.
The group was caught at an orphanage where they carried out their illicit activities.
One of the command's officers saw a pregnant teenager running away from the orphanage at the World Bank area of Owerri, the Imo capital, on March 14.
'This prompted my officers to move into action at the orphanage, arrest the owner of the orphanage and rescue the pregnant women and newborn babies,' he said.
Igwebueze described child trafficking as a 'heinous crime' and appealed to Imo residents to 'say something, when they see something', urging people in the state to stay alert for any unusual events involving families or children.
'If the residents of the state had not assisted us with the necessary information, the command would not have uncovered such a criminal act,' he said.
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