The Anambra state government has apprehended a woman, Oluchukwu Nwosu, aged 45, who allegedly sold her three-month-old grandchild for N50,000.
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this during a news briefing in Awka on Sunday.
Ms. Obinabo revealed that the baby was rescued after nearly a month of intelligence reports and surveillance.
Four individuals have been arrested in connection with the crime and will be handed over to the police for further investigation.
The rescue operation was initiated after Ijeoma Nwosu reported that her mother, Oluchukwu, forcibly sold her baby shortly after birth and refused to disclose the baby’s whereabouts.
Sadly, the baby appears sick and underweight, and according to the buyer, the baby had been fed with soya bean powder due to a lack of money for proper baby food.
The commissioner expressed concern about the persistent practice of illegal adoption in the state, despite government efforts to eradicate it. She warned that those involved in unlawful adoption would face legal action.
Oluchukwu, when interviewed by reporters, pleaded for forgiveness, explaining that her daughter, Ijeoma, had three children outside of wedlock and the family was facing severe financial difficulties.
“I met one Tochukwu Asiegbu, we bargained and agreed that he would pay N50,000, and he paid me the money,” Oluchukwu stated.
Mr. Asiegbu mentioned that he earned N30,000 from the transaction and had merely connected Oluchukwu to the buyer.
The buyer, Evelyn Egwuatu, disclosed that she paid N200,000 to obtain the baby from Ebelechukwu Uba, who is from Ebonyi but resides in Anambra.
However, Mr. Uba claimed that he was only a middleman and stated that the decision to sell the baby to Ms. Egwuatu was made by Mr. Asiegbu and Ms. Oluchukwu.
