The Police in Anambra State said they have uncovered a ‘baby factory’ where young pregnant women are kept and their babies sold by human traffickers.
The police spokesperson in the state, Haruna Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Awka, said 10 suspects were arrested and five newborn babies rescued.
Mr Haruna, a chief superintendent of police, said three other children have been rescued in a house, in a coordinated raid, at Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
“On January 26, at about 7 a.m., following an intelligence report, police operatives attached to the SIB and Area Command, Oraifite, coordinated by the Area Commander, ACP Afolabi Wilfred raided the house.
“The house, which belongs to one Melvina Uju Uba, is located opposite Nnamdi Azikiwe Orthopedic Teaching Hospital Oba in Idemili South LGA of Anambra state,” he said.
The police spokesperson listed the arrested suspects as Edna Nnadi, 37, Ujunwa Nweke, 25, Izuchukwu Uba, 24, Chinasa Ibeh, 19, Peace Effiong, 25, Gift Collins, 20, and Chimkaso Kingsley, 25.
Others are Happiness Monday, 18, Chioma Okonkwo, 25, and Uchechukwu Nwankwo, 18.
Five of the suspects, according to him, were “heavily pregnant”.
The rescued children would be handed over to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Children and Women Affairs for proper care, he said.
He said the police were intensifying effort to apprehend other accomplices in order to bring them to justice.
