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By Christopher Oji
The Nigeria Police have busted a child-trafficking syndicate in Lagos and rescued five children that were sold to different buyers in different states.
Among the buyers were three women based in the United States of America, Canada and Italy.
Eight suspects, including two suppliers, one middleman, two caregivers and two sellers were arrested. Two of the suspects were teachers in a renowned government school in Lagos.
Parading the suspects at the weekend, Mr. Fayoade Adegoke, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, where the suspects were being interrogated, said, “On January 8, 2025, intelligence report based on the activities of a notorious child-trafficking syndicate was received by us and it was reviewed that the syndicate specializes in buying and selling newborn babies, toddlers as well as children of various ages.
“The syndicate comprises of Sunday Okputu as the supplier of the children, Ibezim Chioma, who serves as a middle person and equally canvasses for buyers for their illegal lucrative business, and also a care giver employed by the syndicate, Chinasa Echelibe, whose main duty is providing care for the children before onward delivery to their prospective and respective final buyer.
“The police team, led by CSP Ngozi Braide, has so far rescued a total of five beautiful children who were bought or trafficked at one time or the other. These children’s real identities have been messed up by these wicked traffickers who always change their names as soon as the buying and selling is completed.”
DCP Ajao Adewale, who represented the AIG, gave full details of the roles played by the suspects. Adewale noted the case of Marvelous Obi, a one-year-old sold to Mrs. Ibezim Chioma when the baby was barely one week old. Ibezim Chioma bought and resold him to Ken Obi and Mrs. Apollus Marina Oluchi, who resides in Italy but kept the baby in the care of Chinasa Echelibe, the syndicate’s caregiver.
“We also have Promise Ifekwuna, three years old, who was sold by Sunday Okputu through Ibezim Chioma to Mrs. Ngozi Ifekwuna in 2021. Mrs. Ifekwuna confessed that she bought the baby with the sum of N500,000. Another one is the case of Somtochukwu Onyemaechi, one, who was painfully sold by his biological mother Faith Sunday, 22, in September 2024 to an unknown individual through Ibezim Chioma and the supplier Sunday Okputu. The boy was sold at the rate of N1,500,000 to someone who resides within Alausa in Ikeja but was eventually rescued in Owerri Imo State. Somtochukwu was found under the care of Helen Chinyere, who stated that she was just a nanny employed by her younger sister Caroline Ewereji who resides in California in USA with her husband but was aware that the boy was bought.
“In the custody of Mrs. Chinyere on the day she was arrested was three years old Chibusoronma Onyemaechi, who she claimed was brought to her as a newborn baby by the same sister of hers in the USA.
“The final but not the least is Praise Chukwudi Ibezim, who was bought by the prime suspect, Chioma Ibezim, at the rate of N800,000l; she claimed that she bought the boy when he was one week old in Mbaise Imo State.”
According to the AIG’s investigations, the ‘supplier’ of the children, Sunday Okputu, could go to any length to make sure that he satisfied his prospective buyers, “He does not mind stealing any child at any place. He could do anything to make sure he delivers. He usually asks his buyers for specifications before swinging into action of making them available.”
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The AIG commended the zonal anti-crime squad, led by CSP Ngozi Braide, for cracking the syndicate and rescuing the children.
Meanwhile, Honorable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlede, in company with other staff of the Ministry of Justice, who took custody of the children, commended the police for the excellent job they have done.
Ogunlede said, “This is a great achievement, busting the syndicate and rescuing the children. My heart is filled with joy that these children were rescued. We have the capacity to retrieve the children from the police and take them to our homes. The children will go through medical examination and we will do the necessary things to take care of the children.
“There’s no hiding place for those doing the same illegal business, as our office, in collaboration with the police, will go after them.”
One of the suspects, Mrs. Faith Sunday, the biological mother of Onyemaechi, said she was forced to sell her child because of poverty: “When I gave birth to the child, there was no money for hospital bills; he was always sick and I didn’t have money to take care of him. When Ibezim Chioma approached me I had no other option than to sell my child for N500,000, and she resold to another person.”
On his part, Okputu, whom the police described as a die-hard child trafficker, told Daily Sun that he was only trying to assist childless couples and grieving mothers, who had no money to take care of their children.
“I am not making money from the business. I was only being magnanimous. I don’t like people suffering because of childlessness. I don’t like mothers crying because they don’t have money to feed their children.
“I will not be happy if my child is stolen and sold to another person. I agree that the pains of missing children is not easy, but I know that the people I supply children to will not kill them but will take care of them. I don’t supply to ritualists. I only supply to good people and wealthy people who can afford to take care of the kids.”
Ngozi Ifekwuna, a teacher, said she had one daughter and needed a boy. She then told her colleague, Ibezim Chioma, to help her look for a male child: “Chioma introduced me to a mother who was not able to pay her child’s hospital bill. I paid her hospital bill and still paid N500,000 for the baby boy, who is now three years old. I didn’t steal the child. I bought him from the biological mother. I can’t be classified as a member of a child-trafficking syndicate. I bought him for myself and I have been taking care of him. I am not happy that the government is taking my son away from me. He has become part of me and I am his mother.”
Adegoke said the suspects would soon be charged to court, while he ordered Braide and her team not to relent in the good job they have been doing for the police and the public.
“Go after other syndicates and bring them to book and rescue other kids that 3 killed in Rivers cult war
