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A 25-year-old mother of four, Nkechi Obi, who tried
to sell a one-week-old baby boy, who was stolen in
Onitsha, Anambra State, to a barren woman in
Lagos, has been arrested.
The suspect, who claimed to be a farmer and an
apprentice in Onitsha, said she was on her way to
hand over the baby to the buyer at Cele Bus Stop, along
the Oshodi/Apapa Express-way, when she was
arrested.
It was gathered that the baby was stolen from his
biological mother, who ran away from home when she
found out she was pregnant.
Trouble started for the suspect after the driver of the
vehicle she chartered from Asaba, Delta State, became
suspicious when he observed that even though the
baby cried uncontrollably throughout the 6 hour
journey to Lagos, the suspect never breastfed the baby.
When he asked her about his observation, she gave
some unsatisfactory explanation, the driver who didn’t
believe her explanation, was said to have stopped at
Oshodi, where he alerted some policemen who
proceeded to interrogate Obi. It was during that
process that they discovered that the baby was not
hers.
She claimed that the baby was given to her by her boss,
whose identity she gave simply as Ngozi.
She said:-
“I was in the shop located at 2 Ourline Street,
Onitsha Main Market on Tuesday, when my madam,
who I sell clothes for, came and ordered me to go
and change into something better, that I was to
embark on a journey to Lagos.
“Thereafter, she handed the baby to me and gave me
a food flask and baby milk. She only gave me the
telephone number of the woman I was to hand the
baby over to. The woman in question is barren. I
was to meet with her at Cele Bus Stop. The would-be
buyer was arrested.”
It was reported that the would-be buyer had two
female children, but opted to adopt a male child due to
pressure from her husband who threatened to marry
another woman.
When asked if her Husband was aware of her
intentions, she said:
She said: “I got married aged 16 years to Polycap Eze,
who had no child from his wife. I was brought in to
bear children for them. After the birth of my fourth
child, he drove me out of the house, saying I have
fulfilled the purpose for which he married me.
“I moved in with one of my relatives who later
introduced me to my madam.”
Speaking on her arrest, Lagos State Commissioner of
Police, Fatai Owoseni said:
“She claimed at first that her lover abandoned her
with the baby. Later, she confessed that her aunt
was a co-suspect. Two other persons, who have
connection with the sale of the one-week-old baby,
were also arrested.
“We have kept the baby in proper custody through
the Family Support Unit. Further investigation into
the case has taken us to the eastern part of the
country where the principal suspect lives.
“But she fled on hearing that we have arrested
Nkechi Obi. We will ensure that everyone behind
this case is arrested.”
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