Proprietress of Divine Mercy Motherless Babies Home Obosi , Lady Ifeoma Okolo allegedly escaped arrest yesterday as police raided the home in connection with alleged child trafficking.
Found at the home were 8 babies , and about 20 pregnant young girls .
The Anambra state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development after the raid took charge of three babies. The ministry's Director of Child Development, Mr Emeka Ejide led his team alongside the police for the raid.
The home located at Enic Foam road has a very big warehouse . The building has several rooms . in the decrepit rooms were 20 young pregnant girls waiting to deliver their babies for sale.
Investigation had it that one Miracle -a three year old boy was already sold at N400,000 to a woman who was desperately looking for a baby boy. Ifeoma however defaulted in delivering the boy to her client even after she had paid the amount both parties agreed. That was to mark the genesis of the problem of the home.
When contacted on phone , Lady Ifeoma Okolo said she went to the hospital with the 5 babies (initially at Nkpor but later Onitsha) but did not say anything about the pregnant girls harboured there. His workers had said Awada hospital.
But on investigation, Daily Champion discovered that clothes , make up, and bags of young girls were in the various rooms in the warehouse which had secret key locks and confusing entrance.
A source at the scene confided to Daily Champion that the home takes care of pregnant young girls and about 12 of them were there as at last week she visited and a good number of babies present. She informed claimed that the home specializes in selling babies to baby seekers.
But a Home care in the home, Mrs Elizabeth Okoroji and Cleaner, Mrs Mercy Amadi denied knowledge of such deals of selling babies and keeping pregnant young girls in the home but later claimed they were new and may not give accurate account of happenings at the home.
A woman ( names withheld ) who hails from Enugu state confessed to buying a baby from the home at the cost of over N400, 000 , praying that she be forgiven as she was not the only one that engaged in that even as she blamed her predicament on a protracted quest for a baby boy . She argued that in Igbo land a family without a baby boy was not regarded, explaining that she had given birth to a baby girl. She denied ever thinking of using the child for ritual.
The two tender babies were taken to Tenderlove Motherless babies home Awka while the other one was taken to Model motherless babies home Awka . police said they are on the trail of the home owner.
Speaking to journalists later, Commissioner for women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Mrs Ego Uzoezie reaffirmed the commitment of the ministry to clean up the mess by those running illegal homes in the state.
Daily Champion
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