…Suspects claimed ‘adoption’; parents from 3 states emerged to claim the children
The Niger State Police Command says it has rescued four children aged 4 to 7 and arrested two women suspected of child trafficking and ritual activities in Suleja.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, June 26, 2026.
According to the command, operatives from the State Intelligence Department acted on credible intelligence on June 3, 2026, and raided a residence behind the old NEPA area in Suleja.
One suspect, Mrs Promise Chukwudi, 68, was arrested there alongside four children. A fifth child was later found at the residence of her alleged accomplice, Mrs Suzanna Onojekwo, 62, on Church Road in the same town.
“The suspects arrested include Mrs Promise Chukwudi, 68, of Suleja, and her accomplice, Mrs Suzanna Onojekwo, 62, of Church Road, Suleja, in whose residence one of the children was found,” the statement said.
The women told police the children, said to be natives of Karim-Lamido in Gassol LGA, Taraba State, were “lawfully released” by their parents between November 2025 and February 2026 for adoption.
Chukwudi said she previously ran an orphanage called _Precious Promise Nursery, Primary and Orphanage Home_ in 2022 and resumed operations in November 2025. She also described herself as a “licensed herbal medical practitioner.”
However, police said several parents from Abuja, Nasarawa, and Benue States later emerged to claim the children, contradicting the suspects’ account.
During a search of Chukwudi’s residence, officers recovered a shrine, animal skulls, pieces of multi-coloured clothing, bird feathers, and other items suspected to be used for fetish practices.
The suspects have been transferred to the Police Headquarters in Minna for further investigation. The four rescued children have been handed over to the Niger State Child Rights Agency for care, while efforts continue to identify and reunite them with their biological parents.
