Eight Days Old Baby Sold For N920,000

                                         

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 25-year-old member of a syndicate which sold a week-old baby for N920,000.

The suspect, Nkechi Obi, was, a few days ago, arrested by the police in the Oshodi area of the state after passengers in a bus she boarded, who were suspicious of her, raised the alarm.

Obi had come to Lagos from Onitsha in Anambra State to deliver the baby on behalf of the leader of the syndicate to the buyer in Lagos State when she was arrested.

She was, on Thursday afternoon, paraded before newsmen by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who warned residents of the state to be very watchful.

Tribune Online gathered that the woman, who allegedly paid for the baby and was expecting the baby to be delivered to her house, had on hearing of the arrest of Obi, switched off her mobile phone.

It was further gathered that trouble started for Obi shortly after the bus she travelled in left Ore in Ondo State, when the baby started crying and all efforts to pacify him failed.

Obi, while speaking with Tribune Online, said: "I was in Imo State before I came down to Onitsha to learn a trade. A week after I started the work, my boss told me that I would be going to Lagos but I have not been there before.

"After she told me, I rushed home to change my clothes. To my surprise, I was given a baby to take to a woman and her phone number was also given to me.

“My boss went with me to Asaba with the baby and later returned to Onitsha. The woman and I started communicating right from Asaba until I got to Lagos," she narrated further.

The suspect also stated that "even when I was in the police custody, she called me but one of the policemen collected the phone from me and told her that I was in their custody and since then, she had switched off her phone.

"When we got to Ore in Ondo State, the baby started crying profusely which drew the attention of the other passengers in the vehicle who told me to breastfeed the baby. I brought out the baby milk given to me and gave it to the baby.

"When we got to Oshodi, the driver and other passengers called some of the policemen who were on patrol and I was arrested. I later told them that the baby was not mine,” she stated.

The Lagos police boss stated that the baby had been handed over to the Family Support Unit of the state police command for proper care pending the time when his parents would come for him.

Tribune