The Rivers State Police Command on Tuesday paraded three pregnant women and a 36-year-old man suspected to be involved in engendering babies for sale.
The ‘baby factory’ suspects, who were apprehended at Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Regime Area, on July 5, 2014, were identified as Odinchinma Nwala (25), Glory Anyanwu (22), Goodness Nwankwo (19), and Stanley Okechukwu (male, 36).
The Divisional Police Officer of Igwuruta Police Station, Mr. Bello Muhammed, told newsmen that they were able to apprehend the suspects after being alerted by well meaning Nigerians.
Muhammed, a Chief Superintendent of Police, explicated that it got signals that someone was operating a baby factory in Umuehe in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Regime Area.
“We sent a patrol team that went and corroborated the information. When the police traced and apprehended Okechukwu, who took the team to where he kept the girls on Saturday, July 5, 2014, it was discovered that the suspects had been involved in the business for a long time.
“The girls were brought from different local regime areas, and further investigation revealed that after distributing, he will settle (pay) the girls N100,000 per baby girl and N150,000 for a baby boy afore selling the babies,” the DPO verbalized.
Mohammed verbalized he was following the directive of the state Commissioner of Police to enlighten the communities within his jurisdiction on the desideratum for landlords to be mindful of the people they habour in their houses and their vocations.
He explicated that investigation was perpetual to get to the root of the matter, integrating that child trafficking remains an offence in the country.
However, Okechukwu, who verbalized with newsmen, gainsaid operating a baby factory. He integrated that he was only rendering assistance to the puerile pregnant women.
Also, one of the pregnant women, who identified herself as Glory Anyanwu, verbalized she was eight months pregnant, even as she gainsaid that they were being kept for a baby engendering business.
“He (Okechukwu) visually perceived me in this condition and decided to avail me by offering me and my unborn baby accommodation. But I ken the person that impregnated me,” Anyanwu verbalized.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has again raised the alarm over the congestion of police cells in the state following the perpetual strike by judiciary workers.
The state chapter of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria had embarked on an indefinite strike since June 10, over the crisis in the state judiciary.
