The police in Imo state have arrested two women, Chizoba Eze and Amaka Eze, for allegedly buying newborn twins, Emmanuel and Emmanuela, for N1.8m in Umuahia, Abia State.
Parading the suspects before newsmen in Owerri, the state capital yesterday August 20th, the state police command’s spokesperson, Andrew Enwerem, said the women who came in from Enugu state, were arrested while leaving the state with the babies, along the Owerri-Aba Road.
Also paraded were six other women who abducted and sold nine children. He said the other suspects were arrested in Imo, Edo and Lagos states with the abducted children.
“In our ongoing onslaught against child trafficking, operatives of the command have rescued newborn twins from suspected child traffickers. The twins, a boy and a girl, were rescued on Owerri-Aba Road following a coordinated operation by the command. The suspects, who impersonated the mother of the twins, have made useful statements. We will charge them to court at the end of investigation.” Enwerem said
He said operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state police command rescued nine children, stolen from their parents and guardians in Owerri and Benin by the suspects.
“On August 15, on Douglas Road, Owerri, FSARS operatives, led by Banjoko Oluwemimo, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, acting on reliable information, arrested two suspects – Chioma Emeka (34), of Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State and Happiness Peter (22), of Iyala Ogoja LGA of Cross River State.”
He gave the names of the suspects asTheresa Asiegbu, Chioma Emeka, Happiness Peter, Martina Nwadike and Martha Ojimba.
The police spokesperson also gave the names of the rescued children as Somtochukwu Obiduba, Kosarachi Obiduba, Onyinyechi Okpala, Divine Anyaka, Wunmi Habeeb, Chisere Nwadike and one Ndubuisi.
“Immediately the suspects steal a child, they will change his or her name to erase suspicion. So, parents and guardians, whose children are missing, are advised to report to the Public Relations Department of the Imo State Police Command for the identification and collection of their children” Enwerem said
One of the suspects, Eze, said she paid N1.8m through an arrangement, called sceptic pregnancy, to have the twins.
Another suspect, Ojimba, confessed that she sold one of the babies for N300,000.
A man, whose two children were handed over to him during the parade, Mike Nkwo, said they were stolen on their way to a coaching class in 2015.
