The Anambra State Police Command arrested 36-year-old Anulika Onyeanusia on September 10, 2026, in Onitsha after disturbing videos surfaced online. The videos showed her using sex toys on a minor, reportedly to attract gifts or views from online audiences. Officers rescued her four children, aged two, three, six, and nine, and placed them in protective care. Incriminating items were recovered from the scene.
The suspect claims the videos were AI-generated. Her husband echoes that claim while under questioning. Police are investigating possible wider networks involved in the production and distribution of the material. The case has amplified calls for stronger child protections and thorough probes by authorities such as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.
This is not an isolated incident. Nigeria has seen a rise in cases where minors are exploited for online content, driven by the promise of quick money from platforms that reward engagement. The country’s child protection systems remain weak, and prosecution of online exploitation is rare. The Anambra case tests whether the police and NAPTIP can move beyond arrest to dismantle the networks that profit from such abuse.
The winners: the police, who acted on the videos and rescued the children. The losers: the four children, who have been removed from their mother and placed in care; the suspect, who faces prosecution; and the Nigerian state, which has failed to prevent the exploitation of minors in the first place.
Bottom Line: A woman has been arrested for allegedly abusing a minor for online gifts. The children are safe. The question is whether the investigation will reach the networks behind the trade or stop at the mother.