At a baby factory in Abia State, the owner buys a baby boy for N100,000 and a baby girl
for N80, 000, which she sells to interested
buyers at N450, 000 and N400, 000
respectively
Ihugwe is an isolated community in
Umuozuo, Osisioma Local Government Area
of Abia State, but it is well known to clients
interesting in buying new born babies for
various reasons. And when the men of the
Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps
(NCSDC) in Abia busted the facility last week,
32 pregnant teenagers were rescued, while
the proprietor and two others were
arrested.

Most of the teenagers rescued, Weekly Trust
heard from sources, were girls kicked out by
their parents after becoming pregnant out
of wedlock. The owner of the house will
accept such girls, take care of them for the
entire duration of their pregnancy and enter
into an agreement to sell the babies after
giving birth to them. It was also learnt that
after giving birth, those interested can
remain behind and be made pregnant
again.

After giving birth, the teenagers will be paid
N100, 000, for a baby boy and N80, 000 for
a baby girl by the proprietor who will sell
the babies to interested clients. “The owner
of the maternity home sells a baby boy for
N450, 000, and a girl for N400, 000,” the
Public Relations Officer of NSCDC in Abia
State, Victor Ogbonna, told Weekly Trust.

He said although the home is registered
with the state government, the owner hides
under the guise to commit all sorts of
illegality.
Weekly Trust learnt that the home was
commissioned last December by the
proprietor Mrs. Nnenna Mba, with the help
of her police-husband Agbai Mba as well as
one Chinwoke Mba.
One of the teenage girls seen at the
entrance of the building told Weekly Trust
that “Our madam (Mrs. Mba) is detained in
Umuahia by men of Civil Defence. She is
innocent as she only assisting childless
couples from Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt
by selling male and female babies at an
agreed fee, thus she settles the mother of
the baby and takes the balance of the
money.”
She claimed that her madam would soon be
released by the security agent as this is not
the first time she has been arrested. “They
would release her to continue her service,”
she said.

According to her, “visitors are not allowed
into this building. Only clients who come for
business or teenage girls who desire to sell
their babies to prospective buyers are
welcome,” she exclaimed.
A villager who refused to give her name said
in December the proprietor was arrested by
security agents, but the police-husband
ensured her prompt bail. According to her,
“that madam, the husband is a police officer
from Bende Local Government Area. He has
contacts with various security agents who
whenever she is arrested the husband
would move in and effect her bail. Elders of
the community have written to the security
agencies informing them of the illicit
business going on in this our community.

The proprietor is not from our community,
but she bought the land from one Chukwdi
Ezu, an indigene. When we complained, her
landlord wanted to evict her, but she got
some elders to intervene on her behalf.
“With the latest development, we are
watching how they would do man-know-
man with her police-husband and secure
her bail as usual. After all, she has been
taken to Abuja on several occasions only for
her to come back and continue her
business,” she explained.

The traditional ruler of Ahiaba-Alaocha
Autonomous Community, His Royal Highness,
Eze Christopher Chukwudi Otuka, in his
Ikearo palace, explained that “as I speak to
you, I have never gone to that orphanage,
but I do know that it does exist in Umuozuo.
Her area where the orphanage is located is
not within my jurisdiction. It is under the
jurisdiction of another monarch.
“I learnt that last year she was arrested by
security agents. I could only recall that
sometime last year the proprietor invited
her land-lord. He confirmed to me that she
was arrested over child trafficking offence
and was taken to Abuja for questioning,
from my calculation this is her third arrest.
“When the proprietor visited my palace with
her landlord (Chukwudi), she invited me to
the official commissioning of the
orphanage. She said she wants to
commission it for officials of Ministry of
Health to inspect. She was regularly raided
by security agencies for not having legal
backing to operate the centre. Since I got my
staff of office I have never visited the centre,
because of the illegality and several
complaints brought... Read more..

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