An 18-year old girl, Miss  Blessing  John, was on Friday,  arrested by the  Police in Minna,  Niger state capital,  for selling her two weeks old baby girl to a 50-year-old woman,  Mrs. Chikodili Jude for the sum of N20,000 to feed and clothe herself.

The sale of the baby to the second suspect, who is also a widow, took place  on Friday January 20, few hours after the former was delivered of the baby at the General Hospital, Minna by  medical personnel.

Sunday Tribune  learnt that no sooner than Blessing, who claimed to be an indigene of Kwale area of Delta state, was delivered of the yet unnamed baby girl, that she allegedly expressed the desire to do away with the child in view if the fact that she could no longer locate one Emmanuel Sunday of Mechanic bye-pass, Minna  who impregnated her, after he ran away in an attempt not to claim the  baby.

“Sunday and I met  when I was working at Kwetere Gwari mechanic village  as an attendant in a restaurant. He approached me to be his girlfriend and I accepted his proposal.

He later impregnated me after making love  to me. When I told him that I was pregnant for him, he picked a quarrel with me over the pregnancy and thereafter, I did not see him again until I put to bed at the General Hospital, Minna on January 18 this year,” Blessing said in an interview with Sunday Tribune.

She added: “I gave out my baby to Mrs. Chikodili James to hold her for me and  she  in return gave me  N20,000 for feeding and clothing  because I did not have any money at hand to feed and take care of myself. I  told her that whenever I am able to put the amount she gave me together, I would pay her back  and take my baby to my state, and she agreed.”

When she was asked whether  there was any written agreement between them to that effect,  she answered in the affirmative, stating that the second suspect immediately brought out a document for her so that they could both append their signatures on the memorandum of agreement.

Blessing, who informed Sunday Tribune  that she had been living in Minna since 2009, noted that the second suspect allegedly brought one paper for her to  sign.

“I read the paper and I understood everything that was written there. I  signed and said that if I had the money she gave me, I would pay her and collect my baby from her later.

“I did not finish my secondary school education as I stopped at Senior Secondary School III when I was supposed to sit for my SSCE Ordinary Level and that of  the National Examinations Council but the school authorities said I had to pay some money as examinations fees which I did not have,” she stated.

It was further gathered that the sale of the baby was allegedly facilitated by one  Mrs. Martha  Obialor, a 65- year-old woman resident at 1010 area of  Kwetere Gwari community of the state capital, who was also being detained by the police in connection with the case, while the memorandum of agreement was drafted at the law firm of “Freedom Chambers” at SW 264, Yoruba road, Minna  metropolitan area by one Mike Ekemezie Esq.

The memorandum of agreement, a copy of which is in the possession of the Sunday Tribune, read thus: “This  agreement is made this 20th day of January between Blessing John of Suleja, Niger state of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as DISCLAIMER, which expression shall, where the context so admits, include her heirs and successor-in title) on the first hand and Mrs. Chikodili Jude of Minna, Niger state of Nigeria, (hereinafter referred to as CLAIMANT which expression shall where the context so admits include her heirs and successor-in – title) on the second hand.”

Accordingly, the legal practitioner stated among other issues that the disclaimer had a female child at the General Hospital, Minna and decided to do away with the child and that the claimant agreed to take the child and also give the disclaimer a token of N20,000 to enable her (Blessing) to travel back to her station, adding that both parties now desire that  their oral agreement be put in writing to be legally binding and enforceable to avoid any controversy in future.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State, Mr. Richard A. Oguche, confirmed the incident, stating that the first suspect, Miss Blessing John transferred the ownership of the two-week-old baby girl to the  second suspect, Mrs. Chikodili Jude, in return for N20,000.




http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/news/6321-niger-police-arrest-3-suspects-over-sale-of-2-week-old-baby
http://hotnaijanews.com/2012/02/05/i8-year-old-girl-sells-her-baby-for-n20000-to-feed-and-clothe-herselfpolice-makes-arrest/

. . .And i bought my little pit bull @ 45 thousand naira.

The Igbos are selling there children @ 20 thousand

25 thousand naira less than my little puppy . my little pit bull = 2 igbos + 5 thousand

Money money money money!! Babarian savages!!!

^^^^^^
you are just a simple rhino. the dinosaur age rhino.

^^

At least its better than dumping the baby in a dung hill. Or would you rather have her abort the baby? I have a friend, her last sibling was picked from the dustbin, if not for their timely rescue he would have become pig food. So don't cast stones on the girl, nor the woman.

Rhino.4dm:

. . .And i bought my little pit bull @ 45 thousand naira.

The Igbos are selling there children @ 20 thousand

25 thousand naira less than my little puppy . my little pit bull = 2 igbos + 5 thousand

Money money money money!! Babarian savages!!!

^^
Rhino u no go kill me,

Rhino.4dm:

. . .And i bought my little pit bull @ 45 thousand naira.

The Igbos are selling there children @ 20 thousand

25 thousand naira less than my little puppy . my little pit bull = 2 igbos + 5 thousand

Money money money money!! Babarian savages!!!

dude where did you get a pitbull's pup for 45k?? I guess my 2week old rottweiler worth the same as the child(metaphorically speaking).

Hmm na wa o,so the girl doesn't have relatives or what? An 18 years old girl carried and delivered a full term pregnancy and then sold the baby just like that for 20k,well thank God she didn't dump her in a dumpster atleast.

and behold it made the front page for one reason; inciting ethnic/tribal bashing and hate, The south are most foolish!!!

What happened to working towards unity amongst yourselves??

when last did you guys discuss factors that unites you instead of all this divisional factors?? Blacks nations are dumb!! Remove religious sentiment, they'll fall for ethnic bigotry, Cure that one and they'll still find something to further divide themselves.

...

She should have taken the baby to motherless babies' home than to sell it.

Common sense is indeed very scarce these days in a particular group of people due to their bitterness towards their perceived "rivals" still from the usual suspect.So a teenager who had a baby where she can not even take care of the baby let alone herself,there came a widow who is more than willing to help her and the baby yet it became a sin,this is why the outside world including african countries won't be blamed if the continue seeing you like mad cows.What if the girl in question has lost all her family members and the man who impregnanted her in  suicide bombings, are you gonna dig them up so they take care of the teenager and her baby?and for the police and the press to make drama out of this i'm not surprised even for a bit,as this kind of drama can only take place in NIGGA-AREA.

Rhino.4dm:

. . .And i bought my little pit bull @ 45 thousand naira.

The Igbos are selling there children @ 20 thousand

25 thousand naira less than my little puppy . my little pit bull = 2 igbos + 5 thousand

Money money money money!! Babarian savages!!!

F.OOL!!!

Stupid journalist,when it's time to tell the whole world why and who is turning your NIGGA-AREA to somalia or afghanistan you and the police will turn over night deaf and dumb.

Wonders shall never end in Naija
baby=20k
blackberry=20k
A baby same amount wif blackberry fone, I no fit laff oooooooh

Please, am yet to find out the connection between Blessing John (Delta state) and Ndi Igbo. So many are drunk with the wine of ethnocentrism and bigotry. Anyways, I don't fully blame the girl for what she did considering her statements. She probably didn't understand the legal terminologies (twisted english concord) as contained in the contract/agreement.

this story is an indictment on the conscience of mankind, nigeria as a nation.
the people are dried up of compassion; how does it happen that a nation does not care what happens to her citizens?
how is an 18 year old carry a full term pregnancy no family member or some older person in her neighborhood ask about her condition?
where is the african proverb of "it takes a village", especially now that we live in "global village"?

most religious houses a fleecing the adherents with any intention to help them navigate the real world.
i applaud the young woman if her story is true.

how can nigeria improve her citizenry even at home and those who are abroad will somewhat catch up to her?

Am beginning to hate this forum, there is too much of tribalism here and I hate it. Damn.

i no blame d girl she was rily helpless

Helpless girl. If na Yoruba girl she go dump am inside bush.

And to add, I don't see anything wrong here. One thing is reading and one thing is understanding what you read. From the way nairaland presented this case its now clear that nairaland has become a racist forum and will soon go down. Watch and see, back to the topic. The girl didn't sell the child, she couldn't take care of her and a widow offered to help her take care of the child and the woman gave her 20,000 which she is to pay back when she got they money and take her child back in agreement to that, they signed an agreement. I don't see why the police should arrest anyone here cause they didn't kill the child or dumped her. I hate tribalism with passion

rhino abi bingo, so blessing john is now igbo.
and beside what crime has these two ppl committed!

if this will save the baby from becoming another BEAF or Willy Willy of her time, Good move

From what I have read here, no baby was sold. The money in question was as the girl put it, to sustain her until she could find her feet. Afterall, she did promise to repay the debt and collect her child. A widow was willing to help and peeps are online spewing rubbish and casting aspersions on tribes. If the baby was dumped, they'd call the girl a heartless mother.  Really #smh on NLand these days.

rhino abi bingo, so blessing john is now igbo.
and beside what crime has these two ppl committed!

She wanted to go back to her state after doing more ashawo work in the North huh?

What crime was committed here? Cant see any.
She willingly gave d child out, since she cnt take care of her and even signed an agreement to get back d child later when she can care for her and she was helped with some cash for upkeeps.
Where is her family?

Blessing John indeed!
All these so-called Southern Christians that go to the North to do 'nwa baby ashawo' in Christ should bring their bastards home to sell. There are many baby-selling houses for barren women in Southern Nigeria. Especially in Abia State.

Ndi-Igbo nor dey taya for child-trafficking. Why did that useless woman of a 'Chikodili' not take both mother and child in if she really wanted to help? Chikodili ko Ekwensukodili ni! Okija Christian!

Haba!!!

Blessing John phocking Emannuel Sunday?
Na wah for Born-Again Christians o!
Having bastards is the real prophesy to be fulfiled I guess?

Mu he he he he he he he