The Delta State Police Command has arrested two women in connection with a child-stealing syndicate and rescued a three-day-old baby.
The arrest followed a tip-off from a tricycle rider who reported suspicious activity on Independence Day, October 1, 2024.
According to reports, the rider, whose identity remains withheld, noticed four women boarding his tricycle. When two of the women alighted at Effurun roundabout, one of them handed over a newborn baby to the two remaining women.
The rider overheard one of the women saying, “The balance has been paid,” and instructing the others to contact her upon reaching their destination.
Sensing something was wrong, the tricycle rider diverted the two remaining women, later identified as Tessi Ikechukwu and Lauretta Akomen, to the Ekpan Police Station.
During investigations, police discovered that Akomen, 38, had purchased the baby for ₦2 million from a traditional home in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The home reportedly houses teenage girls who are impregnated, and their babies are sold to individuals seeking children. Akomen admitted she had taken a drug to make her appear pregnant as part of the scheme.
Following her confession, Akomen led the police to the residence of a woman named Gloria, who acted as an intermediary between her and the traditional home.
Both women are currently in police custody, and a manhunt for other accomplices is underway.
Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, praised the tricycle rider for his vigilance and quick thinking.
“We commend this patriotic act and urge the public to emulate such actions in safeguarding the community,” he stated.
