The Abia State Police Command has rescued a four-day-old baby allegedly stolen from her mother and arrested four suspects over the alleged sale of the newborn….
The Abia State Police Command has rescued a four-day-old baby allegedly stolen from her mother and arrested four suspects over the alleged sale of the newborn.
The suspects — Gladys Nathaniel, 48; Victor Udochukwu, 47; Chijioke Obunwa, 59; and Onyeonoro Chinwe, 43 — were arrested on September 16 following what the police described as “credible and actionable intelligence”.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, operatives of the Violent Crimes Response Unit and Rapid Response Unit, Obehie, arrested the suspects after an investigation into the alleged disappearance of the baby.
Police said preliminary findings indicated that the suspects allegedly conspired to take the four-day-old infant from her mother, who was described by the Command as mentally unstable, and subsequently sold the baby to another person.
“The suspects allegedly conspired to steal a 4-day-old baby from her mentally unstable mother and subsequently sold the infant to another person,” Chinaka said.
Both the newborn and her mother were subsequently rescued.
The mother has been released to her family for proper care and medical attention, while the baby has been handed over to the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs for protective custody.
The four suspects remain in police custody as investigators continue their probe at the State Criminal Investigation Department.
The Command said the suspects would be charged to court after the investigation is concluded.
Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons and bringing those found responsible for child-related offences to justice.
The case comes amid other recent child-trafficking investigations in Abia and neighbouring states, including a separate case earlier this month in which police arrested a father and three others over an alleged attempt to sell a 16-month-old girl.
