By Daniel Edu
The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended a couple suspected of trafficking a one-month-old baby from Lagos to Onitsha. The interception took place at Bridgehead in Onitsha, as revealed in a statement by the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Tuesday in Onitsha.
According to Ikenga, the couple was traveling in a luxury bus belonging to a popular transport company, and their suspicious activities were noticed by a co-passenger. The vigilant passenger observed that the mother was unable to breastfeed the baby, despite its cries for food during the journey. The concerned individual promptly contacted the Anambra Police control room hotline in Awka, leading to the interception of the luxury bus at Bridgehead in Onitsha.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the couple had purchased the one-month-old child from its mother in Ajah, Lagos, for the sum of N30,000. The Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, expressed gratitude to the public-spirited citizen who provided the information that led to the rescue of the child. Adeoye commended the police operatives for their vigilance and dedication to duty.
The Commissioner directed that the couple be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution. Meanwhile, the rescued baby has been placed in the care of the state Ministry of Women Affairs pending further investigation into the trafficking incident.
