Okparaku Josephine A child is supposed to be protected, cared for, and given the opportunity to grow, learn, and build a future. But for some children in Imo State, this is not their reality. Trafficking does not always involve strangers kidnapping children. Sometimes, children are taken by people they know or people who pretend to want to help them. In 2025 alone, the Imo State Police Command rescued 12 children between the ages of 5 and 13 who were allegedly being trafficked from Ngor-Okpala to Aba and forced into street begging. In Imo State, child trafficking happens in different ways. Some families as a result of poverty and economic hardship allow their children to go stay with relatives, who they trust to give their children the best care, but in turn these children are brought to the city to undergo child labor, sex exploitation and other forms of child abuse. Teenage girls are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. Some are promised jobs, education or better lives but l...