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Joe Effiong, Uyo
The police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested a woman, Nse James, for selling her three-day old-baby for N300,000.
The woman, from Nung Uyo Idoro, Uyo, would have got away with her actions but for attempting to kidnap for sales other children at St Thomas’ Roman Catholic Mission School, Ekpene Ukim in Uruan, where she was spotted and the police alerted to pick her up.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal, told reporters at the state police headquarters, Ikot Akpanabi, Uyo, that “on interrogation, she confessed to having abducted/sold several children in the past, as well as her own three-day-old baby for N300,000 to one Love Okereafor ‘f’ and Ifeoma Ibe ‘f’, both of Abia State sometime in 2018.”
Edgal explained that the suspect later led operatives to Abia State where her accomplices, Love Okereafor of Nkanu-Ishiala Ngwa local government and Ifeoma Ibe of No. 142 Aba/Owerri Road, both in Abia State were arrested, and a child of about one year was rescued from them. And they confessed being active traffickers of children for years.
The police also paraded another suspected child trafficker, a 42-year-old woman identified as Comfort Edet Effiong, a traditional birth attendant alleged to have abducted a baby with an intention of forcing it on one Stella Francis Edet after duping her of N800,000, claiming that she was pregnant and due for delivery.
“However, on getting to the delivery home, the traditional birth attendant gave her an injection in lap to prevent her from feeling pains and thereafter told her to lie on the floor. After a while, she noticed that the birth attendant covered her face with a wrapper, used a razor to cut her pelvis, and thereafter brought a baby claiming that she delivered the baby.
“That she raised the alarm that she was not the mother of the child and a fight ensued between both of them. Investigation revealed that Mrs Stella paid the traditional birth attendant the sum of N800, 000 for the delivery.
“On the basis of the investigation, operatives proceeded to Ukanafun where Dr Saturday Aaron, alleged to have given Stella an injection purported to have made her ‘pregnant’, was arrested, along with his two staff namely, Imoh Johnny Eyop ‘f’, aged 29 years and Janet Sunday Emmanuel ‘f’, aged 28 years, and recovered a substance suspected to be some concoction used in administering to women for false pregnancy,” the CP said.
The police equally paraded one Lucky Michael arrested for allegedly beheading an 82-year-old woman, Cecelia Isong of Oku Abak, who went to her farm to harvest cassava on February 11, 2020.
“During interrogation, the said Lucky Michael confessed his involvement in the crime and led the detectives to his house where the deceased’s severed head was recovered. Investigation is in progress,” he said.
