Police authorities in the state said the suspected kingpin was apprehended after a conversation revealed details of a recent incident where an associate had taken a woman’s baby—falsely claiming the baby had died—and was paid N2,000,000 for the transaction.
Police spokesperson in Rivers State, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrest of Blessing Jack and three of her gang members in a statement on Monday, noting that the command has made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the activities of the child trafficking syndicate in the state.
She said an in-depth investigation has been launched to arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the network.
She said, “The syndicate, allegedly led by one Blessing Jack, a 54-year-old female resident of Timber Road, Igwuruta, Port-Harcourt, exploits vulnerable young mothers, stealing and selling their new-born babies for significant financial gains.
“On October 9, 2025, at about 1500hrs, operatives of the command attached to the C4i Intelligence Unit, through technical-aided policing, arrested Blessing Jack, at Igwuruta, in Port-Harcourt.
“A conversation between Blessing Jack and one Marley Oburu ‘m’ revealed the syndicate’s modus operandi. She discussed a recent incident where her associate had taken a woman’s baby, claiming the baby had died but had been paid the sum of N2,000,000 for the transaction. This transaction suggested that Blessing and her associates use fake scans and manipulate vulnerable pregnant women to ob-tain their babies.
“Other suspects arrested include: Chinonso Raymond, a 30-year-old male of Ig-wuruta, Port-Harcourt; Chinyere Okorie, a 32-year-old female of Pipeline, Ru-muoholu, Port-Harcourt; and Nkechi Nwankwo, a 50-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port-Harcourt.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that Blessing Jack had previously been im-prisoned in Calabar for three years for child trafficking, highlighting her long-standing involvement in the illicit business.
“All the suspects voluntarily confessed to the crime, detailing their individual roles. Suspects are currently in police custody, while an in-depth investigation has been launched to arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the network.’’
