Police  Arrest Two Women for N2m Baby Sale in Delta

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Two women have been held by the Delta State Police Command while allegedly attempting to conclude the sale of a three-day old baby boy for the sum of N2 million.

The women were arrested during the process of delivering the innocent child, reportedly from a “baby factory” in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to the alleged “buyer” in Delta State, the police command spokesman, Mr Bright Edafe (a superintendent of police, SP) said in Asaba  yesterday..

The victim was rescued through the intervention of a “good-hearted commercial motorcycle operator, otherwise known as ‘keke’ rider,” he disclosed.

The two women, cooling their feet with the police in Delta, suspected to belong to a child-selling and trafficking syndicate, were said to have boarded the tricycle in the process of delivering the baby around Warri area of the state, on the evening of Nigeria’s Independence Day, when they were arrested.

“The vigilant motorcycle operator, suspicious of the mission of the duo,  swiftly headed to a nearby police station instead of the agreed destination,” the spokesman added.

“The ‘keke” operator had come to Ekpan police station at about 6.30p.m on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 where he gave account of the discovery,” Edafe said in a statement in Asaba.

“The tricycle rider reported that while he was on his daily commercial operation, four women boarded his tricycle, on reaching Efurrun Roundabout, two of them alighted from the tricycle. One of the two women who alighted handed over a newborn baby boy to the women left in his tricycle and he heard one of them saying, the balance has been paid while saying that when they get to their destination, they should inform her.

“The tricycle rider smartly diverted the two women (identified asTessi Ikechukwu and Lauretta Akomen,) and the newborn baby to Ekpan Police Station.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the suspects Lauretta Akomen (female) aged 38years  bought the baby for the sum of  N2 million from a traditional home located in Port-Harcourt where they harbour teenage girls, and got men to have sex with them till they are pregnant after which they sell the babies to people looking for children.

“The suspect also revealed that she was given a drug which she took for some time to make her look pregnant. She later led the DPO, CSP Aliyu Shaba and operatives to the house of one Gloria (surname unknown) who acted as an agent between her and the traditional home. 

“Suspects are in custody while a manhunt for the other accomplices is ongoing.”

:”The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abaniwonda Olufemi has expressed appreciation to the good-spirited tricycle operator for being a patriotic citizen and urged others to emulate him,” the PPRO said while advising members of the public to give useful information to the state police Command by contacting the nearest police station or calling either by reporting dedicated phone numbers, 08036684974; 08114895600 and 08025666914,” the statement added.