By Reagan Obioma
A major haul was recorded by the Imo State Police Command in unmasking a baby making factory operated by an alleged child-selling syndicate.
Briefing newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday, police authorities showcased about 18 young women said to be pregnant and alleged to be housed by a certain woman (names withheld) popularly called Madam One Thousand for purposes of bearing children and selling them to willing bidders.
Madam One Thousand, police alleged operates an illegal orphanage home in Umuaka, Njaba LGA, where the pregnant women mostly young and teenage girls are kept for the child-bearing objectives. The said Madam One Thousand is on the run and wanted by the police for further investigation on the matter.
It was also learnt that Madam One Thousand operates a pure water factory called Ahatee, at the same Umuaka premises where newly-born babies sell between N800, 000 and N450, 000 depending on bargaining power of the customers for different sexes. While the male sales for N800, 000, the female goes for N450, 000 as the child bearing women get N50, 000 as fee for their services. Some of the pregnant suspects held in police custody told Trumpeta that they were allegedly brought in to bear children for sale. A suspect Uzoamaka Okorie Kate from Nempi in Oru area of Imo State said that she was asked to come and give birth for a baby that would be sold she would be given N50,000.
Another raid at the Umuezeala Umuaka Community discovered the presence of eight more pregnant women and two male folks whose job is pregnant the suspects in the fake maternity and ante-natal clinic.
The Commissioner of Police, Musa Katsina ordered that the main suspect, Madam One Thousand should come out from hiding in the next 24 hours as there is no hiding place for a criminal in Imo warning that the command’s ambush squad must provide her.
