Not less than six pregnant girls have been rescued from a baby factory operated by a 63-year-old woman identified as Chinyere Nkwocha in Umunkwa village, Abia State.
One lactating mother, a young girl and two male minors were also rescued from the factory, which was uncovered by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS), who subsequently arrested Nkwocha.
Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, the director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), made this known on Monday while lamenting the rise in the number of baby factories and the sale of babies in the country.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: NAPTIP Arrests Arrows of God Founder, Rev. D. C. Ogo
According to the NAPTIP DG, these factories prey on the desperation and vulnerability of unsuspecting victims and lure them with false promises and support.
Waziri-Azi was quoted in media reports as saying, “One of the most recent incidents occurred in Umunkwa village, located in the Umuafai Ndume Ibeku area of Umuahia North Local Government, Abia State, where ten victims were rescued from a baby factory.
“The victims, aged between one and twenty-four years, included seven young girls, six of whom are pregnant, one lactating mother, and two boys who are minors. The factory was operated by a 63-year-old woman, Chinyere Nkwocha, who was apprehended by the DSS. The victims and suspects have been handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation and action.”
READ ALSO: NAPTIP Charges Arrows of God Founder to Court After EQToday’s Investigation
In August 2023, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, an investigative journalist and editor-in-chief of EQToday, released an investigative piece detailing how he penetrated Arrows of God, a Christian orphanage that had been selling babies for years. This orphanage, with offices in Anambra and Lagos State, sold a six-month-old baby to Soyombo for N2 million
Following this report, arrests were made, the orphanage was sealed and the founder, Rev. Lt. Col. D. C. Ogo, was charged in court in April 2024.
Meanwhile, suspected cases of human trafficking can be reported to NAPTIP through its toll-free number, 0703 0000 203, or short code to 627 (MTN & AIRTEL only).
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