The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 36-year-old woman in Onitsha over the alleged sexual exploitation and abuse of her seven-year-old daughter to produce explicit content.
The arrest followed widespread outrage after videos allegedly involving the child surfaced online, triggering calls for urgent intervention by law enforcement authorities.
The suspect, who initially claimed in older videos that nobody could do anything to her and that the footage was generated by artificial intelligence, reportedly changed her position after her arrest.
In a statement recorded by the authorities, the woman pleaded for forgiveness, saying the alleged abuse was “the handiwork of the devil” and claiming she had made only $300 from the content.
She also reportedly admitted that the videos were not AI-generated, but real recordings.
Following the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Nanna Oji Ama, the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) took over the investigation.
Security operatives subsequently rescued the seven-year-old victim and her four siblings, aged between two and nine, from the residence.
Police operatives also recovered sexual paraphernalia and other items considered critical to the investigation.
The woman’s husband is currently being interrogated by investigators to establish whether he had any knowledge of, or involvement in, the alleged abuse.
The rescued children have been placed in protective custody, where they are expected to undergo medical evaluation, professional counselling and receive necessary care.
The police said the identities of the minors would be protected throughout the legal process as investigations continue towards prosecution.
The command’s investigation is expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged abuse and determine the roles, if any, of other persons connected to the case.
