C’River police arrest five suspected baby traffickers

FIVE suspects have been arrested by the Cross River State Police Command for their alleged involvement in the sale of a two-week-old baby.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Calabar while parading the suspected child traffickers, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), John Eluu said on Tuesday, October 27, the police received information that one Miss Maria Ekanem who put to birth two weeks ago, was negotiating the sale of her baby.

The mother was said to have allegedly sold the baby for the sum of N20,000.

He said she allegedly struck the deal with Mrs. Sunday Abang, the matron of Sedatoe Maternity Clinic in Calabar South where she was delivered of the baby.

The PPRO added that one Dr. Okokon Offiong who runs Evangel Clinic was also involved in the negotiation.

Eluu said: “Ekanem was on her way to where she and the buyers had agreed to meet at Inyang by Fuller Street and on arrival, she was given the sum of N20,000.

“On receipt of the information, a team of police detective swung into action leading to the arrest of five suspects, the baby boy and a white Toyota RAV4 Jeep with registration No. JP493ABC used during the operation”.

He added the suspects would be charged to court at the close of investigation.

According to police spokesman: “We assure members of the public of the command’s resolve and preparedness to wage war against all forms of crimes and criminality mostly in this ember months.

“We are warning all troublemakers that the command will not spare them in her effort to weed criminal elements out of the state”, he said.

Ekanem has however, denied the claim, saying that she had no intention of selling her child, instead she only collected the money to pay for her hospital bill.

She added that she wanted to give out the child for proper care since she cannot afford to take care of the child.

She said amid tears: “I have no intention of selling my child. I don’t have money to take care of the child that is why I wanted to give him out to someone to help me take good care of him.

“I am not working, so I don’t have money to take care of him and even feed myself,’’ she submitted.

Similarly, the police also paraded three male suspected marijuana sellers, Richmond Bassey, Effiong Effiom and Ishie Offiong. He said that the trio were still being interrogated.