The Abia State Police Command has
arrested two nurses and rescued four pregnant ladies, one of them with a
two-year-old baby, during a raid at a hospital allegedly used as a baby
factory.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna , told PUNCH Metro
that the police were still on the trail of the Medical Director of the
hospital located at Ihie Umudem Isuochi in the
Umunneochi Local
Government Area of the state.
The
PPRO, who stated that the yet-to-be-identified MD fled during the raid
on the hospital, explained that the doctor and the nurses were using the
hospital as shelter for young women with unwanted pregnancies.
He added that the hospital would buy off the babies upon delivery and, in turn, sell them to willing buyers.
He
gave the name of the lady with a little baby as Sopuruchi from Eneka in
Port Harcourt , Rivers State, adding that efforts were on to re-unite
her and other victims, who he explained were non-Abians, with their
family members.
Ogbonna said, “We
will arrest the doctor and prosecute him along with the arrested
suspects. The police are using this opportunity to warn dubious medical
practitioners and charity homes in the state that use their facilities
as baby factories to desist from the wicked act or face the wrath of the
law.”
The state police also paraded some suspected kidnappers and robbers arrested at different parts of the state.
The PPRO said continuous raids of suspected criminal hideouts in the state led to the arrest of over 150 suspects since August.
He
said about 50 had been arraigned in court, while those arrested for
drug-related offences were transferred to the Enugu zonal office of the
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The
police spokesman said, “Officers and men of the command are adopting
several proactive measures and strategies to curb criminal activities in
the state as the Christmas and New Year festivities approach.
“One
of these led to the rescue of one kidnap victim, Ugo Ajieke, of Power
Line in the Obingwa LGA who was abducted in front of the gate to his
house.”
He reiterated police preparedness to rid Abia of criminals and provide security for all residents of the state.
