Authorities have apprehended a 40-year-old woman, identified as Ikejimba Maryvianney, for allegedly trafficking 38 children in Delta State while posing as a reverend sister, according to the Edo Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The arrest was made following a tip-off, as reported by NewsNow. Barister Nduka Nwanwrnne, the NAPTIP Zonal Commander in Benin, confirmed the incident and noted that Maryvianney, also known as Oluchi, and another individual named Chidera, who is currently on the run, promised parents better care for the children in their two orphanage homes.
The children were handed over to the suspects by their parents at a farm community in Enugu-Awka camp by Monastery, Ilah, Delta State. Maryvianney, claiming to have received training as a reverend sister in Ghana with headquarters in the Philippines, was caught when attempting to recruit more children from the same community.
She convinced parents to send their children with promises of improved care at their orphanage homes. By January 28, 2024, she had been given 12 children, and by February 19, the number had increased to 26, totaling 38 minors in her custody.
Nwanwenne revealed that the suspects posed as Reverend Sisters from a convent in Owerri, engaging in human trafficking activities. The agency has rescued 32 of the children, while six, aged between three and six years old, are still missing.
Following her arrest, Maryvianney claimed three of the missing children were in Badagry, while the remaining three were in Ogun State before stating they had been adopted by individuals in the East. The agency continues to pursue the missing children and the at-large suspect, with plans to prosecute the suspect in custody.
Nwanwenne advised parents to be cautious and thoroughly vet individuals before entrusting their children to anyone.