The Delta State Police Command has arrested three women in connection with the trafficking of an eleven-day-old baby in Asaba.
The mother of the child, identified as Rachael, confessed that she was persuaded to sell her newborn for N600,000 after facing financial difficulties.
“The father of my child abandoned me during pregnancy. I survived on the kindness of neighbors and well-wishers until I gave birth. Eleven days later, I was introduced to a vendor who initially promised to help me but later convinced me to sell my baby,” she admitted.
Concerns arose when those who had supported Rachael noticed the baby was missing. Upon questioning, she confessed, leading to her arrest along with the intermediary who facilitated the transaction.
Investigations revealed that the vendor sold the baby for N3.5 million and gave Rachael N570,000 after deducting N30,000 she had previously lent her. However, the final buyer, a woman from Delta, claimed she paid N4 million for the child.
Parading the suspects, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, stated that all three women had confessed to their roles in the crime.
“We have observed a growing trend in baby trafficking and are determined to tackle it. Just recently, we apprehended three women attempting to transport three children to Abuja via Asaba International Airport. Today, we have another case involving a mother who handed over her baby to a trafficker, who then sold the child to another woman for N4 million—though she claims it was N3.5 million. Shockingly, the mother received less than N600,000,” Edafe said.
The baby has since been recovered and remains in police custody as investigations continue.
