Police rescue 14 from Abia baby factory

NO fewer than 14 pregnant girls and ladies have
been rescued by men of the Abia State Police
Command after they raided an alleged illegal
maternity home.
The police said the martenity home was allegedly
being used as a baby factory at Umukpeyi village
in the Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area
of the state.
The age of the victims, according to the state
Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Udeviotu
Onyeke, range from 14 to 25.
Onyeke explained that the alleged baby factory
belonged to a “notorious child trafficking
syndicate leader in the state, simply known as
Madam Nma”.
The police spokesman said the rescue followed
intelligence report that the principal suspect and
the proprietor of the illegal maternity home had
been habouring pregnant teenagers in the home
for commercial purposes.
He said when interrogated, some of the suspects
claimed they came from Imo, Anambra, Enugu
and Rivers states.
He said, “Majority of those rescued claimed that
they were brought to the home by sympathisers
after they were driven away from their homes
when it was discovered that they had unwanted
pregnancies.”
Onyeke said while 12 out of the 14 suspects were
confirmed pregnant, two said they came to check
if they were pregnant.
The police said the owner of the illegal maternity
home escaped arrest as she was not at home
during the raid, but added that efforts were on to
track her down.
The PPRO appealed to members of the public
with any useful information on her whereabouts
to volunteer same to the police for prompt action.
It will be recalled that the said suspect was
earlier this year paraded by the police at the
Officers Mess, Umuahia.
The police had then told journalists that she was
picked up at Uyo after many years of evading
arrest, assuring the people of the state that she
would be arraigned in court as soon as
investigations were over.