In a shocking revelation, traffickers allegedly collaborated with Gombe Local Government officials to sell a one-year-old baby for N400,000. The incident led to the arrest of several individuals, including Mrs. Tina Raphael, a 60-year-old woman from Anambra State.
Mrs. Raphael, when interviewed by Saturday PUNCH, claimed she adopted the baby from a suspected trafficker named Khadijah for the desired fee, citing her wish to have a girl child.
She emphasized that she only provided the money for legal documentation, denying any involvement in the purchase of the child.
Similarly, Ukamaka Ugo, another resident of Gombe, asserted her innocence, stating that she paid N50,000 to Khadijah for baby items and medical expenses to legally adopt a child whose parents allegedly lacked resources for their baby’s well-being.
Despite the arrests, Khadijah vehemently denied engaging in child theft or trafficking.
She contended that her role was to connect individuals with social welfare workers and claimed the children involved had vulnerable parents who couldn’t adequately care for them.
The Gombe State Police command revealed that Khadijah collaborated with 15 others, including Gombe Local Government officials, in the alleged sale of babies.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mahid Abubakar, disclosed that investigations confirmed the sale of two babies to Ukamaka Ugo, with funds transferred through intermediaries.
Head of the Education and Social Development Department, Abubakar, defended the N200,000 he received from Khadijah, stating it was a gift and not proceeds of crime.
The police are working to recover the adopted children currently in Lagos and Anambra.
Child abduction has become a growing concern in Nigeria, with various cases reported in Gombe and other regions.
The Human Rights Commission warns that child adoption without due legal processes constitutes human trafficking, emphasizing the importance of following proper procedures and court processes in adoption cases.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons is conducting a thorough investigation into the matter before providing further details to the media.
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