Police bust baby selling gang
News & Trends •
consequently the suspects emmanuel chigozie elesuwa and chioma david admitted and confessed to the police investigation team that they are members of a criminal gang that specialize in buying and selling of new born babies and children within and outside nigeria and have been in operation for over ten years1 police said they have bust a gang which specialises in baby selling for as much as n700000 each to willing buyers even across the border in benin republic1 the gangs kingpin is a 52 year-old woman chief lilian nma achumba who runs a charity home in aba abia state1 a police investigating team was stunned when it found 35 pregnant girls and six children and a day old baby at the nma charity and rehabilitation centreumunkpeyi isiala ngwa south local government in abia1 the team was led there by two of the suspects initially arrested at the idi-iroko border in ogun state on 20 july. they were caught with two newly-born babies meant for smuggling for sale in benin republic1 upon interrogation the two suspects 44 year old emmanuel chigozie elesuwa and 33 year-old chioma david a woman confessed they bought the babies at n350000 each at nma charity home and they were taking them to benin to sell at n700000 each1 according to adeniran investigation into the case by the anti-human trafficking and womenchildren protection unit of the force revealed that the suspects arrested are notorious criminals that deal in buying and selling of babies and children within and outside nigeria1 chief superintendent of police aremu adeniran who is the deputy force public relations officer unveiled the three-person gang in abuja today1 during interrogation and further investigation into the roles played by chief lilian nma achumba the owner of nma charity home in aba abia state indicted in the confession of the two suspects it was discovered that the purpose of establishing the orphanage home is to harvest babies for sale and she also operate other branches of the orphanage home in port-harcourt and some other parts of the country1 the police spokesman said 28 of the 36 pregnant girls or women and three children found at the nma charity home have been handed over to the ministry of strategy and social development umuahia abia state and all have since been re-united with their families after receiving medical attention1 the principal suspect chief lilian nma achumba has admitted and confessed to her criminal roles in the case adeniran said1 achumba also revealed she has other branches of the orphanage in port-harcourt and some other parts of the country1 the inspector general of police ibrahim idris on assumption of office on the 22nd june 2016 expanded the anti-human trafficking and womenchildren protection unit of the force under the force criminal intelligence and investigation department fciid1 the anti-human trafficking and womenchildren protection unit of the force in compliance with the directives and their expanded mandate have been working in synergy with relevant agencies of government in the fight against the trafficking of persons and abuse of rights and privileges of women and children1 police said investigation is being intensified to uncover other illegal orphanage branches being operated by achumba to rescue victims and arrest other members of the syndicate still at large1