The Anambra State Police Command yesterday paraded a 29-year-old woman from Ebonyi State, Chidimma Favour Okorie, for allegedly selling an unborn baby for N100,000.
Also paraded were two doctors – Emmanuel Tobechukwu and Cosmos Ugorji – said to be the accomplices in an alleged child trafficking deal.
Chidimma said she had sold two children to another woman, who she called an evangelist, since she was introduced into the business.
She said: “I sold the two children at N50,000 each. I’m pregnant and the madam said when I deliver my baby, she would buy it for N100,000.
“I have five children but I’m not married. I have not sold any of my children, but I have sold two other children, starting with the child of a pastor, who I first stole. I’m pregnant and I have agreed to sell it to madam for N100,000 when I am delivered of the baby.”
Chidimma said the doctors were helping her in alleged trafficking because they had a ready market through a nurse, said to be on the run.
She said: “Madam (evangelist) brought three of us (girls) from Ebonyi to Anambra State and took us to a shrine in Asaba, where she collected our blood for voodoo so that we would not reveal to anybody the type of business we do.”
But Ugorji said he had not met Chidimma before and had not trafficked in children.
The doctor said his hospital is at Awada in Obosi, near Onitsha, adding that the nurse, who the woman allegedly named as his accomplice, patronised his hospital for blood sample tests in his laboratory.
He said: “I was surprised to see the police storm my hospital yesterday (Wednesday) and were talking about child trafficking. Today, they brought us here in Awka.”
Also, Dr Tobechukwu said his hospital is at Nkpor, near Onitsha, adding that a woman brought Chidimma to his hospital for blood test.
He said: “This woman (Chidimma) has a medical condition, which I won’t want to discuss here.
“She was brought by one woman, who said she was a nurse. I didn’t document their addresses because we did not do any treatment. What we did was a blood test and they left.
“I’m from Enugu and I’m working in somebody’s hospital at Nkpor. I have nothing to do with child trafficking.”
Police spokesperson Nkeiru Nwode said the suspects were arrested on Wednesday following a tip-off.
She said Chidimma went to Idoma village at Umuoji in Idemili North Local Government Area and allegedly stolen a four-year-old boy.
The spokesperson said the reidents raised the alarm and she was apprehended.