PORT HARCOURT — A storm of outrage has erupted in Rivers State following allegations that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Igwuruta Police Station released key suspects in an alleged child trafficking case, even as an eight-year-old girl remains missing.
The accuser, Mrs. Sandra Godknows, claimed that the suspects — a Port Harcourt-based lawyer and an orphanage operator identified as John Uzoegbu from Imo State — were arrested in connection with the disappearance of her late brother’s children but were later freed under controversial circumstances.
Narrating her ordeal, Godknows said the case came to light after her 10-year-old nephew was rescued and taken to the Igwuruta Police Station on February 18, 2026.
According to her, the boy revealed that their mother handed him and his younger sister to an orphanage operator, who allegedly gave the girl away before placing him in the custody of the lawyer.
Sensing danger, the boy reportedly escaped by scaling a fence and raising alarm, attracting passersby who intervened. Local vigilante operatives later apprehended the lawyer, leading to the arrest of the orphanage owner in Imo State.
Both suspects were subsequently brought to the Igwuruta Police Division, but Godknows alleged that the situation took a disturbing turn when the DPO reportedly identified the orphanage operator as a friend.
She further claimed that despite directives from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for the transfer of the case and suspects, the division failed to comply.
Godknows alleged that the suspects have since been released, while the whereabouts of the missing eight-year-old girl remain unknown.
“This is about the life of a child. I am calling on the police authorities and the public to intervene before it is too late,” she said.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, said preliminary information from the DPO indicated that the children were legally adopted.
She explained that the suspects presented documents, including court papers, purportedly backing the adoption process, and that the boy raised alarm because he was uncomfortable with his new environment.
“The mother reportedly consented, and legal documents were presented,” she said.
Reacting, National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, described the development as troubling and called for urgent intervention.
He insisted that the case be escalated to the SCIID, stressing that police protocol requires compliance when higher investigative authorities demand case transfer.
Wiro also questioned the legality of the adoption, noting that private orphanages are not authorised to independently process child adoptions, which fall under the Ministry of Social Welfare.
He called for the immediate re-arrest of the suspects, verification of all adoption documents and a broader investigation involving relevant authorities in Imo State.
“The missing child must be found, and justice must be served. If the suspects are not produced, appropriate sanctions should follow,” he said.
As tension continues to rise, residents and rights groups are demanding swift action from police authorities to unravel the circumstances surrounding the case and ensure the safe recovery of the missing child.
