Police in southeastern Nigerian state of Ebonyi have arrested a woman and her lover for selling their baby.
Twenty-year-old Ola China, from Amangwu Edda in Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state, and her lover allegedly sold their baby boy for N500,000 to a maternity home operator in the state.
China reportedly got pregnant for bricklayer Jonah Ogbuagu in August 2021, giving birth to the baby in April 2022 at Obigbo, Rivers State, where she stayed with an aunt for the duration of the pregnancy.
After giving birth, she was said to have conspired with Ogbuagu to sell the baby.
Spokesperson for the Ebonyi State police command, Chris Anyanwu, Tuesday said the maternity home owner, popularly known as Mummy Abigail, was also arrested at Ovima in Afikpo North LGA.
“Mummy Abigail runs a maternity home which she uses as a cover for her illicit trade,” Anyanwu said. “The suspects have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for necessary actions and prosecution.”
The police also arrested a two-man syndicate of child traffickers whose specialty is stealing, abducting, kidnapping and selling of children, he added.
Anyawu disclosed their identities as Otuu Chizaram, 24, and Agbi Precious, 20.
“Each of them confessed to the crime of stealing a baby,’’ Anyanwu said.
