Six pregnant young women have beeb rescued during police raid of an illegal child trafficking centre at Aliu, Rivers State.
The women between ages 20 and 23 years were in various stages of their pregnancy and were allegedly being held at the centre by a syndicate that planned to sell the babies after they were born.
But luck ran out of the criminals as the police, acting on credible information, bursted the place on Tuesday and arrested those running the baby factory.
The pregnant women, owner of the centre and its operator were paraded yesterday by the Commissioner of Police, Polycarp Nwonyi.
The owner of the centre, one Akudo Azoroh, admitted that she was running an illegal business, but denied selling the babies to ritualists.
She said she usually gave the babies to families who do not have children of their own, adding that the girls came to her centre pregnant with the intention to be paid N.8m or N.9m depending on the state of the pregnancy at the point of arrival and gender of the baby.
“I have given out six children in the past. I started the business three years ago. I do not have boys who get the girls pregnant. They were already pregnant when they came; they came to me on their own.
“I give out the babies only to families who do not have children and not to ritualists. I give them out between N1.4 and N1.5 million, depending on the sex of the baby, while I pay their mothers off depending on the stage of the pregnancy at the time they came,” she said.
Interacting with some of the women, they admitted going to the factory pregnant and that they intended to give out the children after birth because they do not have the means of raising them.
One of the girls who was all tears said her elder sister took her to the centre with the support of their mum. She expressed worry, regrets that the father was neither aware of her pregnancy nor the fact that she was in a child trafficking home.
Meanwhile, CP Nwonyi, who took over headship of the command from Okon Effiong, warned his officers and men against corrupt practices and compromise.
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Good job by the police
Na wa o