MEN of the Enugu State Police Command have arrested an 18-year-old mother identified as Okike Ezinne for selling her 18-month-old baby Chisom Raphael for N300,000 to a suspected child trafficker.
In what is now becoming a growing trend, especially across southeast Nigeria, Ms Ezinne sold the baby in a business deal facilitated by one Gloria Okafor, 46, who is from Umudi, Lokpanta in Abia State. Ebonyi State-born Ezinne was arrested yesterday by operatives of the Central Police Station, Enugu State Police Command.
Although all the suspects in the matter have been arrested, the buyer is still at large and the police have launched a manhunt for him. It was gathered that Ms Ezinne was lured by her friend, one Promise Godwin, 20, from Isu, Mbaneze Ohazara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, to Enugu under the pretext of finding her a job to enable her fend for herself and the baby.
Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu, said: “The mother Ezinne, Promise Godwin and Gloria Okafor, the child trafficker, had reached an agreement on the sale of the baby, Chisom, for N300,000. Chisom was taken to Limca Bus Stop at Okigwe, Imo State, along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, where she was sold to Gloria.
“They all came back to Enugu, where the money, according to Ezinne and Promise, was shared as follows N200,000 to Ezinne, the baby’s mother and N50,000 to Promise. The remaining N50,000 went to the motorcyclist working with Promise, who eventually turned out to be a commercial sex worker at Four Corner brothel.
She revealed that Gloria Okafor, having been nabbed, revealed how she bought the child from Ezinne and Promise but maintained that the child was later handed over to the buyer that same day. The police spokeswoman confirmed that the proposed buyer is still at large.
Comments
Post a Comment