Anambra Police uncover baby factory

According to Nwabueze Okonkwo in ONITSHA, Anambra State Police Command
has uncovered a baby
factory where women with unwanted pregnancies are harboured till
delivery, after which the babies are sold to
interested buyers, with or without their mothers' consents.

Consequently, the suspected owner of the baby factory has
been arrested and detained by the police for allegedly selling
one of the new born babies for N700,000, without the mother's
consent.

A source said the suspect, who is from Imo State, whose name was
withheld by the police for security reasons, was alleged to have
opened a maternity home at Odekpe in Ogbaru Local
Government Area of Anambra State where she nurtured the babies after
birth and then sell them to prospective buyers.
The source hinted that the deal that landed her in police custody
started on August 27 when a baby boy was born.

According to the source, the suspect had on August 28, a day after the
delivery, sent Adaku, mother of the baby, to a nearby
compound to fetch a gallon of water to bath the baby, which
she obeyed.
Disappearing act It was gathered that on
returning from the errand, she discovered that the suspect had
disappeared with her baby.

Vanguard gathered that several phone calls she made to find out the
whereabout of the suspect were futile as her line was
switched off.
The source stated that when the suspect eventually showed up
about a week later without the baby and was confronted by
Adaku, she simply asked her to allow her to rest.

The suspect was later arrested by the police for another offence.
When she was released from custody and was confronted
again by Adaku, she replied:
"Can't you see I am just returning from police custody?"

Vanguard learnt that it was at this point that Adaku contacted
one of her cousins who lodged a
complaint at Police Area Command Headquarters, Onitsha,
and the suspect was arrested.
She confessed to the police that she had sold the baby to
someone at Obosi for N700,000, after which she took the police
to Obosi where the baby boy was recovered.

The Police Area Commander for Onitsha, Benjamin Wordu, an Assistant
Commissioner of Police who confirmed the arrest, said he had just
transferred the
matter to the State Criminal Investigations Department, CID, Awka, for
further investigations.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Uche Ezeh, also
confirmed the arrest to newsmen in a telephone chat, adding that the
suspect would be charged to court after
investigations.
He also disclosed that the baby boy had been released to his
mother.

Source: VanguardNG