Men of the Nigeria Police Force in Rivers State have stormed two baby factories and rescued 10 victims including pregnant young girls.
The Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, who disclosed this, also said in a statement in Port Harcourt, that operative of the factories, who are child trafficking syndicates sell off babies after they are born.
Iringe-Koko noted that men of the C4i unit of the police raided two of the factories in Igwuruta and Omagwa communities both in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state following intelligence.
She noted that four of the suspected operators of the homes have been arrested and that efforts are on to arrest the fleeing syndicates for prosecution.
Iringe-Koko said: “On Saturday 7th January 2023, at about 1645hrs acting on credible intelligence available to the Rivers State Police Command, C4I Intelligence Unit Operatives, raided two houses at Igwuruta and Omagwa communities respectively, where victims of child trafficking were being kept.
“In the operation, the suspects were arrested by the police operatives: Favour Bright ‘F’, 30 years old, from Umudioga Community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, and Peace Alikoi ‘F’, 40 years old, from Igwuruta Community in Ikwere Local Government Area, who is the leader of the trafficking syndicate, Noble Uzuchi ‘m’ 17 years old and Chigozie Ogbonna ‘m’ 29 years old.
“The victims rescued in the operation are Ten (10) most of them pregnant. Investigation into the case so far reveals that when the victim delivered, the syndicate leader would keep the baby while she pays the victim a sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000:00).
“All the victims confessed that they have been lured to the illicit sales of children because of the need to meet some financial challenges. Honda Pilot Jeep with Reg. Number, Lagos, FST 607 AX, white was recovered from the syndicate leader.”
She added that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID and that efforts are intensified to track and arrest the buyers of the children already sold out.
