has arrested a 50-year old woman, Anne Soronnade who allegedly
bought a day-old baby boy for N600,000.
The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abdulmajid Ali said the
suspect ,bought the baby in February, 2013 from one Mrs. Martina
Obioha. Obioha who hails from Amume Amajie in Isu Local
Government Area of the state is said to run a maternity home.
The mother of the child, one Blessing Ezigbo, Sunday Sun gathered,
was said to have been sent out by her parents when they discovered
she was pregnant. Ezigbo, according to Ali, later met one Madam
Nnenna, who accommodated her and took care of her until she was
delivered of the baby. Ali explained that when Ezigbo was delivered
of the child, Madam Nnnena requested for N30,000 from her being
the charge for taking care of her when she was pregnant.
Madam Nnenna, it was further learnt, took the child from the mother
who went back to her parents at Okwuekpe Village in anticipation of
raising the money. Before Ezigbo’s return, Nnenna had sold the
baby to Mrs Obioha who operates an illegal maternity centre.
Ali further revealed that Soronnade, mother of six girls had
deposited the sum of N200,000 with Obioha since December 2012
with a promise to pay the balance when a baby boy was available.
Ezigbo’s child eventually ended in her hand.
Ezigbo, Sunday Sun learnt, later reported the case to Imo Security
Network, a local security outfit which recovered the child from
Soronnade. However, rather than hand the child over to his
biological mother, Ali disclosed that the child was returned to the
buyer allegedly after more money had changed hands.
Disappointed by the manner the Imo Security Network handled the
matter, Ezigbo lodged a fresh complaint with the police, which
swung into action and made some arrests. The police anti-
kidnapping squad led by Supol Okocha Ndubueze arrested
Soronnade and recovered the child after one year and one month
while Obioha who sold the child is said to be at large
“We arrested one Chief Emmanuel Nnamani, a co-coordinator of
Imo Security Network who was involved in the child trafficking,” Ali
said.
The commissioner revealed further that another suspect, one Chief
Emmanuel Nwanna was also involved because the report of the
missing boy was brought to him at Ihiona Orlu as a co-ordinator of
Imo Security Network but he allegedly connived with some other
persons and returned the child to Soronnade instead of the
complainant.
“Also the investigation revealed that Chief Nwanna collected
N300,000 from the suspect, Madam Soronnade before returning the
baby to her”, he said, adding that instead of reporting the case to
the police, Chief Emmanuel Nwanna decided to hand over the baby
boy to the suspect until the police swung into action and arrested
the suspect, Anne Soronnade.”
Ali said the police have invited the mother of the child and she had
come to the Anti-kidnapping Squad station to identify her child
after one year and a month that the baby was sold.
Soronnade , in an interview with Sunday Sun, said, “ I am happily
married . I have six girls but I was looking for a boy. I have visited
all the motherless baby homes if I could adopt a baby boy but they
all turned down my applications.
“My first daughter is 25 years old while my last child is 18 years
old. I was desperate to have a baby boy. My husband never
quarreled with me because I didn’t give him a male child but I
needed a baby boy,” she said.
Soronnade who hails from Amurie Omanze in Isu Local Government
Area of Imo State further explained that, “ It is true that I had to pay
an advance payment of N200,000 to Madam Martina Obioha who
claimed to have a maternity home to get me a baby boy when it
was available.
“She sold the child to me in February 2013 after paying the balance.
I took the baby home and my husband didn’t complain. I breastfed
the baby. I named him Chukwudim. It was one year later that the
policemen from Anti-Kidnapping Squad came and arrested me in my
house. It is only God that can deliver me from this mess,” she said
amid tears.
The victim’s mother narrated her ordeal “I was impregnated by my
boyfriend and my parents chased me out. I informed my boyfriend
about the pregnancy and he told me to go for abortion. It was during
this confusion that I met Madam Nnenna who promised to assist
me.
“I stayed in her house throughout the period I was pregnant and I
was delivered of a baby boy at Umuaka in Njaba. Madam Nnenna
later told me that I would pay her N30,000 for taking care of me and
for ante-natal. So, I ran back to my parents to collect some money
but before I came back, she had run away with my baby.
“I later reported the case to the Imo Security Network and Chief
Nwanna assisted us to recover the baby from the suspect. He
however handed over my child back to her. I later reported the case
to the police and the suspect was arrested.”
CP Ali said that the child would be handed over to the mother of the
baby while the suspects would be charged to court. “We will charge
the two suspects with child theft at the court while we still go after
the prime suspect, Madam Martina Obioha,” Ali said.
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