From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The mother of a six hours old baby Miss Chinonye Oparaocha and the nurse where she had delivered the baby at a disclosed maternity in Nekede in Owerri West council in Imo state are now in police net for selling the baby boy for 850,000.
Equally arrested by the Anti- Child Trafficking operatives of the Imo state police Command are Christian Duru, aged 38, George Iyowuna,38 years and Williams Cynthia, 44 years old.
They were paraded at the weekend alongside other suspects arrested by the command for various criminal offenses.
The state Commissioner of Police Mr. Rabiu Ladodo who briefed newsmen on the incident revealed that on February 8, 2019 that Chinonye Oparaocha, 22 was delivered of a baby boy at a disclosed maternity in Nekede in Owerri west council.
He further disclosed that the mother of the baby , Chinonye Oparaocha had colluded with one of the nurse Confidence Anyanwu, a native of Okwuato Umuhu in Aboh Mbaise council but resident of 41 Mbaise road, Owerri, in company of her husband Amanze Anyanwu now at large had taken the 6 hours old baby to Port Harcourt where one Christian Duru was already waiting for them.
According to the IMO CP, “On arrival at Port – Harcourt, Duru Christian in company of one Mrs. George Iyowuna met them at the hideout, took over the baby boy and handed over to a prospective buyer one Mrs. William Cynthia and her husband who eventually paid the sum of N850, 000.00 (eight hundred and fifty thousand naira).
However, following a tip-off on April 13, 2019, operatives of the Scorpion Squad arrested the above-named suspects and recovered the newly born baby boy Abiya William while efforts are on-going to arrest the fleeing members of the syndicate”
He said that the suspects have made useful statements to the police concerning the crime and are helping the police in the investigation.