NAPTIP Arrests ‘Fake’ Reverend Sister For Alleged Trafficking 38 Children

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has arrested one Ikejimba Mary Vianney, a woman posing as a reverend sister, for allegedly trafficking children in Delta State.

The 40-year-old woman was arrested by the Edo Zonal Command of the agency following a tip off about her alleged involvement in trafficking of 38 children who NAPTIP said are minors.

The Zonal Commander of the Edo Command, Barr. Nduka Nwanwrnne, said the suspect is currently in their custody.

He explained that the parents of the 38 children at a farm in Enugu-Awka camp Monastery, Ilah, Delta State, entrusted their children to Mary Vianney, also known as Oluch, and another named Chidera (currently at large) for care.

According to him, the suspect claimed to be a trained reverend sister from Ghana with headquarters in the Philippines.

However, she ran out of luck when she allegedly attempted to recruit more children from the farm community and persuaded the parents to allow their children to accompany them to their orphanage homes with the assurance of better care.

He said: “On January 28, 2024, the suspect was given 12 children, while on February 19, she was given 26 children, bringing the total number of children in her custody to 38, all of whom are minors.

“The suspect and her accomplices are human traffickers posing as Reverend Sisters from a convent in Owerri, recruiting children for human trafficking.

“To convince the parents during the first transfer of children, the suspects asked two of the parents to accompany them to visit the two orphanage homes where the children would stay,” he said.

Nwanwenne stated that 32 of the children have been rescued by the agency, while six, aged between three, four, and six years old, are yet to be located, he however explained that upon arrest, the suspect claimed that three of the six missing children were in Badagry, while the remaining three were in Ogun State.

He said the ‘fake’ Reverend sister later stated that they had been adopted by individuals in the East, but according to him, the agency is still actively pursuing the victims and the suspect that’s on the run.

He added that the suspect in custody would be prosecuted