The police at Ilemba Hausa, Ajangbadi Division, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, have arrested four suspects who allegedly steal or buy children from Lagos and sell in the eastern part of the country.The suspects include a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Chibueze Mbah, Mrs. Benedict Ogbonna and Mrs. Patricia Mbogu, who allegedly bought one of the stolen children.
The suspects were arrested following a complaint by a resident of Jakande area of Ajangbadi, Mr. Caleb Ezeaka, of an alleged kidnap of his son, Uchenna Ezeaka, by Mr. and Mrs.Mbah.
NE learnt that Mr. Ezeaka reported to the police that his neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Mbah absconded with his 4-year old son when they came to buy sliced boiled cassava in his house.
He alleged that the couple bought the item for N50 and gave him N100 but they didn’t wait for their change. Instead they left with twoof his children and later sent his elder son to come and collect their change.
Ezeaka said he told his son to go and call his younger brother, but when he got there, the couple had packed out of their house with his four-year old son.
Investigation by the police led them to Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State where the 27-year old Chibueze Mbah and his 23-year old wife Adaeze Mbah were arrested.
NE gathered that the couple told the police that they had sold Uchenna to Mrs. Ogbonna at Asaba in Delta State, southsouth Nigeria.
The police proceeded to Asaba where Mrs. Ogbonna was arrested.
During interrogation, Mrs. Ogbonna allegedly confessed that she buys and sells children to barren women and that she has sold Uchenna to Mrs.Mbogu at Obosi in Anambra State.
Investigation by the police also revealed that the suspects had earlier stolen two kids identified as Goodluck Amechi, 3, and Promise Amechi of same parents in Imo State and sold to the same Mrs.Ogbonna
Mrs. Ogbonna led the police to Obosi in Anambra where Mrs.Mbogu was arrested and the three children were recovered in one church and Goodness Motherless Home in the state.
Speaking with NE Adaeze Mbah, who is pregnant, alleged that it was a girl who brought Goodluck and Promise to her and said the children were orphans and had no one to take care of them.
She said that was why they sold the two kids to Mrs. Ogbonna at N200,000 each.
Adaeze told NE that when Uchenna came to their house, her husband asked her who he was and she told him that the boy was their neighbour’s child and he suggested to her that they should sell him to Mrs. Ogbonnat and she obliged.
Adaeze also confessed to NE that Mrs. Ogbonnan had already approached her husband to sell her unborn baby and that her husband has been putting pressure on her to allow Mrs. Ogbonna buy the child.
Mrs.Mbogu, who bought one of the babies, claimed that she has been married for long but has no child, saying that it was her friend that introduced her to Mrs.Ogbonna when she confided in her.
“So when I called Mrs. Ogbonna she said that she can help me. After a week she called me and said she has found one for me. That was all,” said Mrs.Mbogu.
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