Tina Amanda
Trans-Amadi Police Divisional Headquarters has rescued a fourteen day-old baby boy allegedly sold out by his grandmother, Victoria Joseph Christopher.
Narrating her ordeal to Newsmen, mother of the baby, Anthonia Christopher Joseph, disclosed that when she was due, her mother took her to Imo State to give birth, under the pretence of taking her to a Pastor for prayers.
According to her, after delivery, her mother connived with the midwife to sell her baby and threatened to strangle her and the baby to death if she revealed her plans to anyone.
She said the reason her mother gave for selling her baby, is because her fiance has not paid her bride price.
She explained further that her mother later called the father of the child to inform him that the baby had died immediately after delivery.
On her arrival in Port Harcourt, she narrated her ordeal to her fiance who made an entry at the station, leading to the arrest of the mother.
Father of the Child, Christian Duru, who confirmed the incident, said the Police had called him to come to the station to take his baby who was recovered in Imo State.
“Before my fiancee’s delivery date, her mother came to my house and informed her that she wants to take her somewhere that they will be back in no time, I allowed her to go. She did not return that day, I kept trying their phone numbers and they were switched off.
“I called the next day, her mother picked the call and told me she took her daughter to the place where she does delivry, so that her daughter could deliver the baby safely.
“Some days later, her mother called and informed me that the baby is dead but my fiancee is okay, I told her to give the phone to my woman let me speak to her. When I finally spoke to her, she was crying and told me she can not talk, that she would call me later.
“That same day at night, she called me, she was crying and speaking in a low tone, like someone who is afraid, she told me that her mother is wicked, that she has sold the baby and threatened to kill her if she exposes her.
“When she arrived Port Harcourt, she called me one morning that I should come as fast as I can, that the mother is trying to move out from her apartment and change her sim card so that I would not be able to reach them again.
“I immediately alerted the Police, we headed straight to the mother’s apartment and arrested her”
He noted that further investigation by the Police led to the arrest of the nurse/midwife in Akwa Ibom State who delivered the baby and the buyer of the baby in Imo State.
He, however, commended the Trans-Amadi Police officers and a human rights organization, Centre For Basic Rights Protection And Accountability Campaign for their efforts in apprehending the culprit.
Meanwhile, a Human Rights Activist of the Centre For Basic Rights And Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, condemned the continuous involvement of some Health Workers in Child trafficking, describing the development as worrisome.
