Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicates in Abia

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, June 5th, 2018

From Ignatius Okpara, Umuahia

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Police in Abia state, South-Nigeria say it has apprehended three suspects who are members of a child trafficking syndicates, including 17-year-old girl, identified as Gift Daniel, who sold her two-day-old baby boy for paltry N670, 000. (Six hundred and seventy naira).

Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, the Commissioner of police in the state, disclosed this Monday, while briefing newsmen in Umuahia, the Abia state capital on the activities of the command.

He equally hinted that the command arrested no fewer than 22 other suspected criminals, following raids by his men in the wake of renewed criminal acts in different parts of the state.

However, the 17 year old mother, told journalists that she was compelled to sell the baby due to financial challenges.

She revealed that her first baby was sold by her own mother after delivery, hence her resolve to personally sell the second baby.

Hear her: “My mother sent me away from the house, when I became pregnant for the second baby and because of the financial difficulties, I started looking for somebody to help me.”

Daniel said that she was given N50,000 by the woman who linked her to the buyer, a 38-year-old Ngozi Nwaiwu, while the nurse, Kate Charles, who helped her during her delivery, got N30,000.

Nwaiwu, also confirmed the sale to newsmen, saying she was trying to help Daniel, considering her condition.

The Abia police boss, also hinted that a 22-year-old Blessing Chukwu, who sold her three-week-old baby girl, was arrested along with the alleged buyer, who gave her name as Chinasa Okpara.

Other alleged accomplices, Mrs Puphemia Omende and husband, Kelechi, a medical practitioner, were also nabbed.

Police alleged that the couple facilitated the transaction at their hospital in Okigwe, where the baby was born.

Okpara said that she paid N360,000 for the baby and blamed her action on her 13-year-old childless marriage.

Chukwu said she already had four children out of wedlock., adding that she was given N190,000, for the three-week old baby, blaming her action on financial challenges.

The police said they were arrested at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where the baby had reportedly been on admission for the past three weeks.

Also arrested the police said, was a 23-year-old Rose Chukwu together with her relation, Joy Sunday, while allegedly attempting to kidnap a little boy at Uzuakoli in Bende council Area of the state.

The police said the duo kidnapped the boy at Township Primary School, Uzuakoli, after school and replaced his uniform with another shirt, adding that they were taking him away when someone alerted the police.

But the suspects, denied the alleged kidnap attempt, saying that they saw the boy wandering and felt that he missed his way and decided to help him to find his way back home.

The Commissioner stated that the suspects, who were paraded before newsmen, would be arraigned in court at the end of police investigations.

He advised criminals in the state to seek genuine ways of earning living rather than engaging in criminality, warning that the Command will not rest in its oars until such bad elements are flushed out from the society.