In what is now becoming a common practise across Nigeria Ms Obianua fell victim to a specialised child trafficker Mrs Chibuzor Okoye, who convinced her to sell the baby to Mr and Mrs Sunday Kalu, who were desperately looking for a baby. While parading the suspects, the new Ondo State police commissioner Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, said five persons were involved in the case.
She said the police got tipped off when Tessy’s father, Henry Obianu, who lives at Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area of the state reported that his daughter was missing with her pregnancy. He claimed that Tessy ran away with her pregnancy in January last year but later re-appeared in May without the baby or the pregnancy.
After being interrogated, Tessy was said to have confessed to one of her uncle's that she sold the baby to a couple in Onitsha. Police investigations then revealed that Tessy was lured to Onitsha by one of her father’s neighbour in Ogbese, identified as Jude Azuka, who took her to Onitsha where she was nursed in Mrs Okoye’s house until she delivered.
Police commissioner Ibifuro-Harrison said: “Following investigations in Onitsha, the police arrested Mrs Okoye, at No. 3, Tony Olisa Street, Awada, who specialises in child trafficking. It was Okoye, who sold the said baby girl to the couple at No. 8, Uzogwu Street, Onitsha for the sum of N500,000.
“She claimed to have given Jude the sum of N200,000 out of which Jude claimed to have bought clothes and shoes for Tessy and also gave her N30,000. Mrs Okoye thereafter forced Tessy, to sign an undertaking that she would never come back for the baby.”
She urged parents to be wary of the antics of criminal elements, who act friendly around their wards. Over recent years, trafficking in babies has become common place as childless couples are willing to pay good money for the children of disadvantaged Nigerians.
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