A church used as a cover for breeding and trafficking babies has been uncovered by the police in Abia State.
According to the police, victims claimed that they were raped by the church pastor whose wife was selling their babies.
The story was told at a press conference addressed today by the Abia State commissioner of police (CP) Adeleye Oyebade at the command headquarters in Umuahia.
He said, “On May 24, 2017 at about 1200hours, information was received that a storey building located at 252 Faulks Road, Aba, which doubles as a Church and Medical Centre was converted to baby factory. Based on this information, a team of policemen attached to Ariaria Division led by the DPO stormed the premises where five pregnant young girls were rescued and one Christopher Adebanya Tochukwu, the Pastor of the Church and the operator of the clinic who earlier fled the scene was arrested.
“Upon interrogation, one of the pregnant young girls alleged that she was raped by the so called pastor that morning. Another girl alleged that the pastor attempted to rape her if not for a broken piece of glass she used in self-defense.
“One of the girls also claimed that her two month old baby delivered therein was forcefully taken away from her by the pastor’s wife, now at large, and sold to an unknown person. A two week old premature baby girl rescued at the scene has been taken to a motherless baby’s home for care and custody. Investigation is in progress.”
Oyebade and the rescued girl, Mercy.
In a related development, Oyebade also told how a 3-year-old girl was sold for N150, 000 after she was stolen by a neighbour.
He said, “On May 28, at about 6pm, operatives of Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) attached to Obehie Division arrested one 28-year-old Godspower Emeka of Orji Street, Obehie, for the theft of a 3-year-old girl identified as Mercy Emeka of same address.
“The girl was sold to one Kelvin Ogbunigwu, 35, who resides at Omuma, in Rivers State, for N150, 000. Our men rescued her, and the suspect confessed to the crime. Efforts are on to arrest other suspects.”
