From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Special Security outfit, Operation Akpakwu, set up by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River have busted a baby making factory in Calabar South.
At the factory located at Usoro Street close the Calabar south local government secretariat in Anantigha, the team rescued 24 pregnant girls, 11 children and arrested two suspects.
The two suspects are couples just as the children are between 6 months to 3 years old.
An official of the 13 Brigade Military Police, Stanley Ikpeme, on behalf of the Brigade Commander Brigadier General Muhammed Abdullahi, handed over the suspects, alongside the pregnant girls and children were handed over to officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
Speaking while receiving the suspects, the head of Operations NAPTIP, Oba Jacob, said the agency has the responsibility to not just prosecute but to rehabilitate and reintegrate the victims back to the society.
He said the task of eliminating child trafficking and Trafficking in Persons is a collective one and sought support from the public.
“On behalf of my state commander, I am taking over the suspects, the 24 victims and their kids and will ensure the victims and taken care of and the suspects properly prosecuted after investigation.
“As an agency, we have the responsibility to arrest, prosecute, and also counsel the victims, rehabilitate and reintegrate them into the society.
“We implore members of the public to intimate us with any information they have about crimes like this because we want to do our to ensure we reduce them to the barest minimum if not totally eradicated”, he said.
One of the suspects Fidelia Edem denied knowledge of the factory and called for investigation.
Also speaking, one of the pregnant girls Grace said “my husband pursued me from the house when he discovered I am pregnant.
“A friend of man told me about this place that they will take care of me till I deliver”, she said.
Another girl, Loveth said “they are taking care of me and giving me N2000 per week. I went there because they will take care of me and I did not want to abort the baby” she said.
