Operatives of the Delta State Police Command at Ekpan in Uvwie Local Government Area have arrested two female suspected to be trafficking a three-month-old baby.
The arrested suspects said to be working hand-in-hand with baby factories in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, were Tessi Ikechukwu and Lauretta Akomen.
The suspects were on their way to sell off the baby when the rider of the commercial tricycle they boarded for the transaction drove them into the Ekpan Police Division having listened to their conversations.
SP Bright Edafe, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, in a statement, said the suspects were apprehended on October 1, 2024.
“On 1/10/2024, at about 1830 hours, a tricycle rider (name withheld) came to Ekpan police station and reported that while he was on his daily commercial operation, four women boarded his tricycle.
“On reaching Effurun Roundabout, two of them alighted from the tricycle.
“One of the two women who alighted handed over a newborn baby boy to the women left in his tricycle and he heard one of them saying, the balance has been paid while saying that when they get to their destination, they should inform her.
“The tricycle rider smartly diverted the two women; Tessi Ikechukwu, and Lauretta Akomen, and the newborn baby to Ekpan Police Station.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the suspects, Lauretta Akomen ‘f’ aged 38yrs bought the baby for the sum of Two Million Naira (#2,000,000) from a traditional home located in Port Harcourt where they harbour teenage girls, and got men to have sex with them till they are pregnant after which they sell the babies to people looking for children.
“The suspect also revealed that she was given a drug which she took for some time to make her look pregnant.
“She later led the DPO CSP Aliyu Shaba and operatives to the house of one Gloria (surname unknown) who acted as an agent between her and the traditional home.
“Suspects are in custody while a manhunt for the other accomplices is ongoing,” he narrated.
SP Edafe quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, as expressing gratitude to “the tricycle rider for being a patriotic citizen and urged others to emulate him.”
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