The police in Abia State have arrested a 26-year-old man for selling his baby boy for N260, 000 in order to foot the burial expenses of his father.

Kinsley Ubani from Umunkpeyi in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area was arrested for selling the baby, born to him by his live-in lover, Chioma Onu.
He was among scores of child traffickers paraded yesterday by the police in Umuahia.

Another suspected child trafficker, Chimere Sunday alias Boyoyo from Umuojima Ogbu in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, was also arrested and paraded for allegedly selling his two children in collaboration with two female suspects, Mrs. Uloaku Chinweuba and Mrs. Ugochi Alozie.

Aside from the child traffickers, 19 pregnant teenagers rescued from a baby factory at Umuobia Olokoro were also paraded.

The girls, in various stages of pregnancy, whose ages range from 15 to 23 years, were rescued from Nma Charity Home where they were being kept and fed until they deliver their babies for sale to prospective buyers.

In a swift reaction, the state task force on environment and allied matters demolished the baby factory at Olokoro, making it the second time such a facility would be demolished in less than two weeks.

Ezuma Hospital in Aba was similarly demolished on December 7 for being used as a baby factory.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Usman Tilli Abubakar, who addressed journalists on the activities of the police in checking crime over the past five months, said Ubani was arrested based on a tip-off from some neighbours.

He also said the proprietress of the charity home, Mrs. Nma Achumba, was originally running her charity home at Umunkpeyi, which she converted to a baby factory and four months ago, she was said to have relocated to Olokoro where she had been operating secretly before a raid on her facility on December 12.

Abubakar said when the police raided the illegal charity home at about 5a.m., following a tip-off, the proprietress had escaped but her son, Uche Ohuabunwa and his wife Tina, who were in charge of taking care of the pregnant girls, were arrested.

Speaking with journalists, Ubani admitted selling his baby boy, who was about four years old, for N260, 000, adding that he was compelled to do so last November in order to raise funds to bury his father.

He added that the body of his father had been lying in the mortuary for 18 months and his siblings were not showing interest in the burial plans hence he resorted to selling his baby to raise money for the burial ceremony.

The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, with Alkem Nigeria Limited, a private company involved in PET bottles recycling.

Speaking at the signing of the pact in Lagos, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr.Ola Oresanya, said that the MoU signing signified the formalisation of partnership between the authority and Alkem.

Oresanya noted that the partnership would have a positive impact on the LAWMA’s ongoing campaign to sanitise the state of used PET bottles.

According to him, the partnership would boost the culture of waste sorting and recycling, which the authority had been spearheading in recent times.

The partnership entails the establishment, operation and maintenance of a PET bottle collection and baling Centre at Olusosun recycling village (the project site) by Alkem Nigeria Limited.

Managing Director of Alkem, Mr. Ravi Chanrai lauded the management of LAWMA for the opportunity to formalise their relationship to ensure effective waste collection in the state.

Chanrai commended the authority for its efforts to rid Lagos of wastes which he said are detrimental to human health.
Considering the space required to contain the over 10,000 cubic meter of waste generated daily in Lagos and the in-elasticity of the landfill sites, LAWMA commenced the recycling initiative in the state through massive public enlightenment and discounting the amount paid for the evacuation of sorted wastes.

To this end, the authority established a nylon buyback programme, recycling banks, the compost facility in Ikorodu, (in collaboration with Earthcare), collection of PET, aluminum cans, cardboard and other materials.