Ebonyi State Police Command on Tuesday arrested female suspects; Ndidiamaka Enyinta Emeka and Chinenye Idam for Child trafficking in the state.
The female suspects, according to the police, are staff of the federal teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The Command made this known in a statement signed by the Commissioner of Police CP Aliyu Garba and made available to journalists in Abakaliki by the police spokesperson DSP Loveth Odah.
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The statement reads in part: “In its efforts to sustain the fight against child trafficking in Ebonyi State, the Nigeria Police Force Operatives, attached to Izzi Divisional Headquarters of the Command arrested three (3), female suspects namely.
(i) Ndidiamaka Enyinta Emeka (ii) Chinenye Idam all staff of Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki and (iii) Maryjane Inya a principal Nurse Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Annex, Nwezenyi, Izzi LGA of the State and recovered two babies, (male and female) of between the ages of 3 days and two weeks old.
“The suspects were arrested on Thursday, 10th December 2021 following a report to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) by a concerned citizen of the area who alleged that one of the suspects Maryjane was seen with two newborn babies suspected to have been stolen.
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“Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the suspects Ndidiamaka Enyinta Emeka is the biological mother of the male child, that she delivered the baby on Wednesday 8th December 2021 at Mama Samuel Maternity Home Ndi-Eche Igbeagu in Izzi LGA of the State, a single mother of five (5) who now sold her newborn baby to the second suspect “Chinenye Idam at the cost of four hundred thousand Naira (400,000)
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“On Wednesday 8th December 2021, Chinenye Idam visited the Maternity home as agreed, paid the hospital bill of fourteen thousand Naira (#14000) and the cash sum of four hundred thousand (#400,000) to Ndidiamaka who in turn handed over the baby to her.
Ndidiamaka the baby’s mother went back to the village claiming that her newborn baby died after delivery but the village head and other family members insisted on knowing the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.
“The suspect now led the village head and other family members to FETHA Annex Nwezenyi where she attended antenatal before her delivery seeking the assistance of the nurses in tracing the suspect who is also a staff of Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki leading to the arrest and recovery of the baby.
“The circumstances surrounding the trafficking of the second baby is still under investigation,” the police noted.
However, the Commissioner of Police has directed that the babies be accorded proper medical care and custody in a government facility and vowed to prosecute anyone who is indicted according to the laws of the land.
