Mother sells baby for N250,000

• She connived with her mother to conceal the pregnancy from her strict father
 
A Twenty-two-year-old lady along with six other suspects have been arrested by the decoy team of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command over the sale of a day-old baby for the sum of N250,000.

The lady, Miss Onyinyechi Osoneye, was arrested on Wednesday by the operatives, who were working on intelligence over the sale of her baby to Mr. and Mrs. Ike Nwata.

It was gathered that Onyinyechi with the connivance of her mother, Mrs. Joy Osoneye, concealed the pregnancy from her father knowing her father’s strict position on a child born out of wedlock.

It was further revealed that the man, who impregnated Onyinyechi had on being informed of the pregnancy, declined to be the one responsible for it.A source revealed that Onyinyechi was admitted to Peninsula Hospital, Ikota, Lekki-Ajah Expressway, Lagos, where Mrs. Glory Ehinmi, 35, delivered the lady of a baby boy on March 1, 2017.

The source said Onyinyechi when arrested had declined the fact that she was pregnant and sold her baby. She was reported to have thereafter burst into tears on further interrogation.

She disclosed that Ehinmi took the baby from her at the point of delivery and gave him to Mrs. Prisca Okocha, 45, her sister and owner of Peculiar Hospital, Orile, who offered Onyinyechi’s mother N250,000 as cost of the baby.

The source disclosed that Okocha thereafter contacted Mrs. Regina Anyanwu, 59, who subsequently brought the buyers, Mrs. and Mr. Ike Nwata. Okocha confessed to investigators that she sold the baby for N850,000 but gave the mother N250,000.

It was further learnt that the buying couple, who were desperately in need of a child, organised a huge party to celebrate the baby’s arrival.Nwata was reported to have stayed away from her husband’s residence on doctor’s advice while the search for a baby lasted. She added that she was pretending to be pregnant each time she was at home.

Onyinyechi could not be interviewed as she wept all through the period of investigation.  Ehinmi disclosed that what she did Onyinyechi was a favour, adding that the concealment was enough to suffocate the baby, but she enrolled her for antenatal and catered for her till she was delivered of the baby.

Efforts to arrest the man who impregnated Onyinyechi, her mother and father proved abortive as they were reported to be on the run.The baby has been handed over to the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs while five suspects have been transferred to Gender Office, State Headquarters, Ikeja for further investigations.