Abia Police Rescue Three Babies Sold by Parents

Police officers

Despite the economic hardship being experienced in Greece, some Nigerians are still willing to do anything to migrate to that country even to the extent that a man has sold his six-month-old baby boy for N350,000 to finance the procurement of visa to travel to Greece.

Abia State Commissioner of Police, Usman Tilli, disclosed this yesterday at his maiden press conference to outline the achievements of the command since he assumed duties on February 18. He noted that the three babies sold by their parents were all rescued in good health.

He said a 20-year-old woman, Ozioma Ekwelem, had on March 6, reported that her husband, Onyekachi Ekwelem, 26, had sold their baby boy, Oluebubechukwu in order to realise his dream of travelling to Greece.

Following the report, the CP said his men swooped into action and recovered the baby and handed him over to his mother in good health, while the baby trafficking father had been charged to court.

Similarly, a woman, named Odinakachi Samuel of Ovurungwa village in Isiala Ngwa South local government area of the state was said to have sold her baby girl for N150,000 immediately after delivery on February 26 with the connivance of the nurse, Monica Benjamin, who delivered her of the baby.

According to Tilli, the new born baby was eventually rescued by the police after the father reported the trafficking incident, while the baby’s mother and the nurse had been arrested and charged to court.

In another baby trafficking incident, the police commissioner said a baby boy was recovered by the police after the father, Oluchukwu Ogidi, had reported on March 16, that his wife, Kelechi, had connived with one Dr. Williams Oruwa, who delivered her of the baby and sold it for N300,000.

He said after the arrest of the medical doctor, the police discovered that three other pregnant women were being harboured in his clinic for child trafficking purposes.

He said the expectant mothers, Blessing Okwu, 21, Janet Ogbonna, 20; and Chinenye Onuoha, 23, were now serving as prosecution witnesses in the trail of the doctor and his collaborators.

Unlike in other incidents where one parent was involved in selling their babies, the CP said the most recent baby trafficking case which was cracked on April 2,  involved a man, Uchechukwu Gabriel and his wife, Nneoma, who sold their new born baby girl at a cost of N200,000.

Tilli said the police was still trailing the yet-to-be-identified buyer of the new baby while the parents have been taken into custody to help in apprehending the suspect.

Aside from the baby trafficking incidents, the CP said within the period under review, the police were able to resolve three out of four kidnap incidents, saying that the victims were rescued without payment of ransom.

“I am warning kidnappers, robbers, child traffickers and other criminals to stay clear of Abia State,” he said, adding, “they (criminals) have no room to operate here in Abia because I want the people of Abia to sleep with their two eyes closed.”