A Lagos hospital where babies are being sold, has been revealedAccording to Daily Sun, Mrs Virginia Nwauzor, a registered midwife at Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCC), a state government-run hospital, was caught by the police for buying a day-old baby for N50,000 from his teenage mother, and she has since been helping the security operatives with investigation.
Police investigations revealed that this new discovery is more than an affair of the hospital located at First Gate, along First Avenue, Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos.
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It was gathered that the 19-year-old mother of the baby, Chinyere Amechi had fled her parents’ house in Lagos for almost one and half years after which she got pregnant for her boyfriend, Nonso Nnamba and had the baby.
File factory of a Baby factory in Nigeria
The boyfriend reportedly offered Mrs Nwauzor at MCC, who in turn took him to another woman, a 51-year-old member of the syndicate, Mrs Rose Ekewe to trade the infant.
It was when Chinyere, like the proverbial prodigal child, returned to her parents, that bubble burst on the baby sales’ syndicate
The parents were said to have taken her in apparently delighted that their daughter had returned safely, and further made her go through a medical check up in a private hospital.
It was during this check up that it was revealed that Chinyere had put to bed before.
With the medical report in hand, her parents asked for the whereabouts of the baby but she lied that the baby had died and buried, but the unsatisfied parents probed further and Chinyere under pressure, confessed on how a nurse at MCC gave her N50,000 to get the baby from her.
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During her confession, she also alleged that she gave the money to her boyfriend and father of her baby who used it to rent a room apartment at Orile area of the state.
On hearing the words from her daughter, Chinyere’s mother reported to the Satellite police station from where the medical director of the hospital, alongside the trio of Mrs Nwauzor, Mrs Ekewe and Nonso were arrested are being detained as the investigation goes on with the baby still missing.
Three other staff of the hospital; the gyneacologist who took delivery of the baby, the matron in charge of the nurses and another lady in the administration section, were also arrested following Chinyere’s confession.
Nwauzor, on realising that they had been busted, confessed to the police that she assisted Chinyere to get admitted in the hospital after hearing about her pathetic situation, and claimed that Chinyere told her that she was a destitute and needed a home to keep the child once he was born.
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She further confessed that she took the 19-year-old girl and her baby her friend, Mrs Ekewe who was living alone in Satellite town and claimed that her friend gave N50,000 to Chinyere to assist her since she was a destitute.
According to Mrs Nwauzor, the amount was meant to help her (Chinyere) get an accommodation and start up a little business.
On her part, when Mrs Ekewe was asked about the whereabouts of the baby in her care, she easily confessed that she handed the baby over to a childless couple since she could not afford to take care of the child, but promised to help trace the couple whom she sold the baby to.
A reliable source at the hospital who witnessed the whole drama, explained: “We were surprised that the young lady who never attended ante-natal in the hospital was suddenly admitted. No one understood why Mrs. Atuanya (as she is known by colleagues) suddenly developed interest in the case and was personally running around to ensure that all that was needed during delivery was provided.
“Even when she delivered, the woman kept saying that she has no money nor family member to come and pay the hospital bill. We were still contemplating what to do to her when we learnt that an anonymous person had paid her bills. Everybody was surprised and even asked her how she did it and she explained that it was God that sent a helper her way.
“It was when the police stormed the hospital with the mother of the child that we understood why she was so nice to the woman.
One of the security men on duty also lent his voice to the issue, expressed shock over the allegations, lamenting that there was no way the medical director would have sold a baby.
“I still find it hard to believe that Mrs. Atuanya (Mrs. Nwauzor) will do such an evil thing. Imagine, N50, 000 for a newborn baby,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos police command spokesman, DSP Joe Offor said that he does not have the detail of the matter.
He however informed that, “I can confirm that some persons were arrested from Amuwo Odofin maternity hospital over the sale of a new born baby in the hospital. The matter was reported at the Satellite police station while investigation has since commenced.”
