The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Enugu State Police Command has arrested a twenty-two year old woman, Chinelo Huma for allegedly selling her 4-weeks old baby girl for N430,000 to 43-year-old Nkechi Ugochukwu.
Maria Asomba and Esther Obi who facilitated the deal were also arrested by the Police alongside the buyer of the child, Nkechi Ugochukwu.
The deputy head of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Supol Anyai Dennis (CSP) said that even after the baby was recovered, Huma insisted she didn’t want the baby as she already has 2 children from previous relationships.
Sun reports:
Twenty-two-year-old Chinelo Huma, who sold her one-month-old baby for N430,000 has been arrested by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Enugu State Police Command.
Three other women, Nkechi Ugochukwu, Maria Asomba and Esther Obi, who allegedly played roles in the sale of the baby were traced to Onitsha, Anambra State and arrested by the police.
Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu who disclosed this, told Sunday Sun that Huma got pregnant while she was engaged in prostitution. Her boyfriend who was not quite ready to bear the responsibility of fatherhood rejected Huma’s pregnancy.
Incidentally, Huma already had two children, who were being cared for by her mother. So having another child out of wedlock was not an idea that appealed to her one bit and she decided to relieve herself of the burden of caring for the baby.
Her words: “I am a prostitute. When I became pregnant and it was close to nine months, my boyfriend rejected it. I decided to sell the baby. When I gave birth on April 13, 2014, one lady whose name is Maria Asomba, arranged for the baby to be sold to Mrs. Nkechi Ugochukwu, and she paid N430, 000, but Asomba gave me N150,000.
“When the police arrested Ugochukwu, I told them I didn’t want the baby again, because I already have two children and my mother is taking care of them.”
Adamu explained that 43-year-old Ugochukwu had for long desired to have a child of her own but was unable to conceive. The arrangement to source the baby was facilitated by one Esther Obi, who nursed the newborn for two weeks before handing her over to Ugochukwu.
The Commissioner of Police further revealed that Asomba, 35, specialized in looking recruiting pregnant ladies that were willing to dispose of their babies after giving birth.
The police learnt about the ignoble act, Adamu said the Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Supol Gloria Udoka (DSP) and her team swung into action and traced the suspects to a jungle in Onitsha, where the one-month old was rescued. The police team also arrested Ugochukwu.
Giving more insight to the sordid affair, the deputy head of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Supol Anyai Dennis (CSP) expressed disgust that even after the baby was recovered, Huma insisted she didn’t want to keep the baby.
Supol Dennis added that Ugochukwu was reluctant to hand over the baby as she had led her neighbours to believe she had given birth and would feel a deeply embarrassed, given that she had made arrangements for the baby already named as Chinasa.
Expressing her pain at the turn of events, Ugochukwu lamented: “I have been barren for years and I needed a child. My husband’s kinsmen have been maligning and making jest of me because I don’t have a child. I borrowed N430,000 to buy the child; my husband is aware of the baby. The baby was brought to me on April 17, 2014. When I took the baby to my compound all my neighbours congratulated me over the new baby; policemen came and took the baby from me. I don’t want my money back. I need the baby. I have named the baby Chinasa and I am already planning to dedicate her in church.”
That desire now appears to be a pipe dream as the Commissioner of Police has given a firm assurance that all the suspects would be charged to court soon for human trafficking.
