The Enugu state Police Command on Saturday said it has busted a baby factory located within Etiti Amankwo Ngwo of 9th mile axis of Udi local government, where nine pregnant ladies were rescued.
The command in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebere Amaraizu said its operatives at 9th Mile Division achieved the feat through their robust intelligence network. The factory is said to be allegedly owned and operated by one Ikechukwu Onoh of Etiti Amakwo Ngwo.
According to the statement, the said baby factory being operated in the private house of the suspect was raided yesterday by the operatives who acted on the strength of intelligence gathered about the baby factory where nine pregnant girls and women with various degrees of pregnancy were seen.
“The pregnant women and girls later gave their names as Stella James 19 years of Ohaozara Ebonyi State; Eze Jennifer 19 years of Obukpa in Nsukka Local Government of Enugu state; Ugwu Christabel 17 years of Aku Igboetiti Local Government of Enugu state; Happiness Mbaonu 17 years of Nnewi, Anambra state; Ovunna Ifeoma 20 years of Ezza Ebonyi state; Esther Nwankwo 21 years of Nkalagu Ebonyi state; Onyedika Agu 23 years of Isuawa Awgu of Enugu state; Blessing James 23 years of Ohafia Abia state, and Chibueze Ujunwa 24 years of Nenwenta Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu state,” Amaraizu noted.
He said the pregnant ladies are presently helping the operatives in their investigations.
“On the part of the owner of the factory, he claimed that he got a provisional approval in October 2007 from Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development Enugu State to admit and shelter pregnant women in his hospital called The Tex hospital and maternity home at 9th Mile Corner Enugu and that the hospital is no longer functional; hence he is now running the home from his house.
“He also admitted that under the authority, he was supposed to inform the social development and women affairs within 24 hours of admitting any pregnant women. This was against the backdrop that he claimed that he only calls the ministry on phone and not in writing them and gaining their consent when admittance are made.
“In case of the authority referring any pregnant lady to his home, there used to be reference letter which also was not made available as at the time of the report.
“However some of the girls narrated their ordeal like Ugwu Christabel of Aku in Igboetiti who maintained that she was allegedly raped by someone during her secondary school period, called Emeka whom also she does not know and that she could not report to the parents until pregnancy resulted; leading to her being forced to marry an old man or leave the family which made her to seek for assistance through one of the aunties that directed her to the home.
“According to her, they don’t usually do anything at the home. It is just to eat, give list of their wants and it will be purchased but with the agreement that the baby will not be theirs.
“Another person Happiness Mbaonu of Nnewi revealed that she got her pregnancy via someone whom she met at holy ghost Park, Enugu where she usually hawks cashew nuts and that being a stranded person from home decided to be staying with the guy who eventually got her impregnated hence she was connected through someone to the home. The stories of others were not different to what Christabel and Happiness have said.
“The state Criminal and Intelligence Department is conducting full scale investigations with a view to establishing the legality of the maternity home and how exactly all the inmates got to the home amongst other relevant issues,” the statement added.
source: Thisday
0 Comments