Human trafficking-Baby factory found in Abia

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps,NCSDC, in Abia State has raided an alleged “baby selling” maternity home at Umuzuo, Osisioma Local Government area of the state.
It also rescued 32 pregnant teenagers in the process.
Mr Victor Ogbonna, the state NSCDC Public Relations Officer, made this known when he presented the pregnant teenagers rescued from the home to journalists in Umuahia on Wednesday.
He said that the proprietor of the centre, Nnenna Mba, and two other men; Mba Agbai and Chinwoke Mba , who allegedly aided the act, were arrested by the NSCDC.
Ogbonna said the rescue operation and the subsequent arrest took place on April 2, at Umuzuo community, while the teenagers and the owner of the home were around, adding that investigations by NSCDC revealed that victims were induced to sell a baby boy for N100, 000, while a girl goes for N80, 000.
“More investigations conducted showed that the owner of the maternity home, in turn sells the baby boy for N450, 000, and a girl for N400, 000,’’ he said.
According to him, NSCDC discovery showed that the home was established in 2009, but got registered with the state government in December 2012.
He said: “In spite of the home being registered with government, investigations by our men revealed that the owner, hides under this to commit evil”.
He said that the relatives of the victims had been contacted to reunite them with their people.

In a contrary claim, the proprietor of the home denied claims that she induced the victims to sell their babies.
Mba said the centre which was officially registered with the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, was meant to assist pregnant teenagers.
In another twist, Chinwoke Mba, one of the suspects, claimed he was a member of the Abia State Vigilance Service, deployed officially to the centre.
He said that the NSCDC officials overpowered him before the arrest.
“I told them I was posted to the centre officially by vigilance service and since the arrest, the NSCDC officials refused to allow me contact anybody, including the state office of the service,” he said.
The claim was confirmed by Mr Martins Idika, the Commander-General, Abia State Vigilance Service, who disclosed that the unit commander at Osisioma reported a case of the arrest of one worker on duty by the officials of NSCDC on April 3.
The commander said the matter would be adequately looked into to ascertain if there was any complicity by the worker.