peratives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested a
commercial bus driver and an estate agent for allegedly operating a
‘baby factory’ and child abduction.
The suspects, identified as Jennifer Obi and Osita Okafor, were arrested along with seven girls.
Six of the girls, according to the police, are currently pregnant.
The suspects, who were paraded in Asaba, the capital of Delta State,
denied the allegations. They claimed to have been arrested at a
maternity home where they were receiving treatment from a midwife.
The spokesman of the state’s police command, Celestina Kalu, a
Superintendent of Police(SP) said: “One Blessing Aondoseer ‘f’ of
Ominigboma camp reported at the ‘B’ Division Police station that
sometimes in September 2016, her husband, one Telengu ‘m’ (surname
unknown) brought her to Asaba with pregnancy for delivery. And that
after delivering a baby boy, her husband, Jennifer Obi and two others
took away her two-weeks-old baby to an unknown destination.”
“Detectives swung into action and arrested Jennifer Obi and Osita
Okafor. Seven other girls, out of which six are pregnant namely: Joy
Chinwendu, Amaka Emeka Joy, Deborah Ogbonna, Ifunanya Agu, Chinecherem
Agbo, Ogochukwu Okwe and Chioma Emmanuel were also arrested in the house
of Osita Okafor at Oduke area, Asaba. The six pregnant girls confessed
that they were there to sell their babies after delivery.”
But Okafor denied the allegations, claiming that all suspects were arrested at his wife’s maternity home.
He said that his wife had been away for about three months and that the pregnant girls came regularly for treatment.
He added that the complainant raised the alarm after she was duped by
her husband who collected the money for the ‘stolen child’ and
disappeared.
He claimed the complainant was given a paltry N2, 000 after which she raised the alarm.
He said: “I am Osita Okafor, a bus driver in Asaba. My wife is a
midwife. All these girls came for treatment before they were arrested.
This complainant and her husband sold their baby. Her husband ran away
with the money and gave her just N2, 000, and that is why the girl
reported at the police station. The local vigilant moved in following
the alarm she raised.”
The 40-year-old bus driver and father-of-three denied being a member
of the syndicate, adding that he was getting ready for work when he was
arrested. The other accused person, Obi, denied her involvement in the
alleged crime.
She said that as an estate agent, she was doing her job, adding that
she found a room for the complainant and her husband. According to her,
on the day they went to look for a room, she observed that the
complainant experienced labour pains and she assisted her to get to a
maternity home.
The leader of the Tiv community in Asaba, Paul Tyokase Ngutur, who
acted as interpreter for the complainant, said that Blessing Aondoseer
was married to another man who impregnated her in Mbausu community. But
because he had no money for the welfare of his pregnant wife, he
returned her to her parents only to discover that her parents were
separated.
According to him, Blessing’s mother, who did not know what to do with
her pregnant daughter was approached by Telengu, who promised to marry
her and subsequently brought her to Asaba only to sell the two-weeks-old
baby upon delivery and disappeared.
He said Blessing and her husband Telengu hails from Mbausu community, Vandekya Local Government Area of Benue State.
He said investigation revealed that the fleeing Telengu had commenced
the building of his home in Benue from the proceeds of child sale.
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