By ikenna orioha
Despite efforts being made by the police and other security Agencies to reduce the incessant traffic in human beings in the South-East, the ugly trend has soared to the level that babies upon delivery are sold for money according to sex. Little wonder luck ran out of a Pastor, Doctors, Nurses and their accomplices who recently were allegedly involved in child trafficking in Aba, Abia State and Awo-Omamma, Imo State.
Briefing the press of the ugly incident on 30th July, 2013, at Imo State Police Headquarters, Owerri, the DPPRO on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, said on 17/07/2013, one Prince Sunday Okorie and his wife, Sarah Okorie, both of Umuogbo Ntu, Ngor Okpala LGA, who are resident at Amaoka, Anambra State, conspired to sell their four months old baby boy for money. They met a child trafficker, one Dr Mrs Sandra Odimega of Favour Hospital and Maternity, Awo-Omamma, who took them into custody until 22/07/2013 when the doctor met a willing buyer, Ebere Ngozi Gloria Akalite (a teacher) of No. 1 Isu Njaba Street, Awada Onitsha, who bought the baby boy at the cost of N500,000 (Five hundred thousand naira).
The police allegedly said that the medical doctor who employed one Ogechi Ahana to attract prospecting buyers to her, sold the child for N500,000 and gave the child’s parents (Mrs and Mrs Okorie) N300,000 claiming it was what she sold the little baby boy.
However, the parents of the child confessed they sold their son because they are poor. “I don’t have help. I am the only son”, Mr Okorie said. While the doctor who took the parents of the baby into custody at her clinic said the accusation was false. She hinted that she came back and discovered that the child has disappeared.
In the same vein, the Imo State Police Command Ambush Squad had arrested one Pastor Emmanuel Onu of Umuawada Onicha in Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA, who lives at Avutu Obowo, who impregnated one Nkeiru Chukwuemeka of Umujeba Avutu in Obowo LGA and took her to Angels of Mercy Hospital at No. 19 Ajiwe Street, Aba, Abia State who allegedly conspired with the owner of the clinic, doctor Azuka Odike and one Precious Adiele (a nurse) of Itu Obingwa, Abia State and allegedly sold the baby immediately after delivery.
Testifying, the pastor (Onu) said he did not even know the sex of the child because he did not set his eyes on the baby, adding the accusation against him that he sold the child was baseless as he took the woman to the hospital to save his image as a pastor of a church.
Also testifying, Mrs Nkeiru (who was said to be mad) attests that she did not believe the medic and the nurses when they told her that her child was dead and has been buried. “The pastor promised to marry me if I become pregnant for him. That is why he took me to the hospital”, Nkeiru emphasized.
The medical doctor (Mrs Azuka) testified that she had already discharged the mother and her child alive having been paid for her professional service. She denied involvement in the disappearance of the baby. But Precious, (the nurse whose duty is to allegedly contract prospective baby buyers) confessed that the baby was sold.
As another nurse explained that the medical doctor, Mrs Azuka knew nothing of the disappearance of the baby from the hospital. She alleged that Precious (the nurse) knew about the disappearance of the baby whose sex was not disclosed before newsmen.
