Police rescue 32 expectant teenage mothers from Abia ‘baby factory’
By Ugochukwu Eke.

•Proprietor: I run a charity home


IF found guilty as alleged, Dr Hycinth Orikara, the proprietor of The Cross Foundation would soon be charged to court to disclose who authorised him to run a maternity home described by the police as "illegal Baby Factory" in Aba, Abia State.

The state police command had raided the baby factory and rescued about 32 teenage expectant inmates from the clinic known as The Cross Foundation, where teenagers are kept until they are delivered of their babies.

According to the police, the babies are usually taken away and their mothers discharged after being paid certain amounts ranging between N25, 000 and N30, 000, depending on the sex of the babies.

Parading the proprietor, who was accused of paying off the teenage mothers N30, 000 for a male child and N25,000 for a female baby, the Abia police claimed that such babies are thereafter sold to the highest bidders.

Speaking while parading the suspects, state Commissioner of Police Bala Hassan said that the syndicate (Orikara) provides food and shelter for the inmates who in-turn produce babies for him to sell, adding that it was inhuman for medical personnel to engage in such activity.

Hassan alleged that some of the babies are in most cases sold to ritualists, who in turn use them for different rituals, stressing that the police will not relent until are such criminal activities have been banished from the state.

The police commissioner said that baby factory Orikara and the inmates will soon be charged to court for child trafficking, child labour and abuse after thorough investigations would have been concluded.

But in a chat with reporters, the proprietor denied running a baby factory, but a foundation for teenagers with unwanted pregnancies, who do not have anybody to help them.

Orikara, who graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1998 and also an employee of the Abia State Health Management Board (ASHMB), Umuahia, the state capital, insisted that he has been running a charity home in consultation with the welfare department of the state government.

He claimed that the department has a record of every child that will be put up for adoption, even as denied that he has been smiling to the bank with millions of Naira from the proceeds made from the babies.

Besides, Orikara informed that the parents and guardians of the inmates are aware of the whereabout of their children and wards, adding that the foundation is being sustained with donations by public-spirited individuals.

However, Ifeoma Orji, an 18-year-old inmate and a student of Girls High School, Umuahia, contradicted the proprietor’s claim with her admittance that a friend had introduced her to the clinic about two weeks ago.

Another inmate, who simply identified herself as Chikwendu, confirmed that she earned N25, 000 after her baby was sold immediately after delivery
http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/8062-police-rescue-32-expectant-teenage-mothers-from-abia-%E2%80%98baby-factory%E2%80%99.html

This is very sad.

Baby factory? Bbay witches? What a very primitive set of people.

;d ;d ;d ;d

The girls were not being held there against their will, and they were being paid. Just pointing this out.

damn

ibos, Ibos, Na wa for una oo,
nothing un no go do just because of money !!
If the helpless girl get 25-30k ,then how much are the babys being sold !!
the love of money is the route of all evil

francisj:

ibos, Ibos, Na wa for una oo,
nothing un no go do just because of money !!
If the helpless girl get 25-30k ,then how much are the babys being sold !!
the love of money is the route of all evil

I wish you knew were you are from!
So have you not realised this menace is in most states? Take your time there make hand no touch you there.

Seun:

The girls were not being held there against their will, and they were being paid. Just pointing this out.

there are some comments Seun makes that is beyond

I'm just saying the girls are not the innocent, helpless victims the title attempts to portray them as.

igbo kenu,

we luv money.

Dats part of development in a state.

Abia state is making it again in front page 4 de 2nd time today in NL,

so clap 4 dem.