Photo: Day-old baby sold for N50,000 in Lagos

The Lagos state police command has arrested a midwife identified as Virginia Nwauzor that works with the Maternal and Child Health Centre (MCC), situated at First Gate, along First Avenue in Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos, for allegedly working with a child trafficking syndicate to sell off a day old baby boy born by a 19yr old girl named Chinyere Amechi.



The Sun reports that Chinyere fled her parents home over a year ago and got pregnant by her boyfriend named Nonso Namba. When she gave birth to her baby, she sold him to the midwife for N50,000 who in turn a sold him to a 51-year-old member of the syndicate, Mrs. Rose Ekewe.

Trouble started after Chinyere returned home to her parents who welcomed her. She told them of a baby she had but later died. After much interrogation, Chinyere confessed to her parents that she gave her son to a nurse at the hospital where she gave birth. The police was contacted and the midwife, her colleague Rose Ezekwe and Chinyere's boyfriend were arrested and have been in detention.

When interrogated, the midwife said she decided to help Chinyere after she claimed she was a destitute and needed a home to keep the child once he was born. Upon delivery,she took Chinyere and the new born child to the house of her friend, Mrs. Ekewe who was living alone in Satellite town. She claimed that it was her friend who gave N50,000 to the Chinyere to assist her since she was a destitute. The amount, she said, was meant to help her get an accommodation and start up a little business.

When the police asked Mrs. Ekewe the whereabouts of the baby that was left in her care, she confessed that she handed the baby over to a childless couple since she could not afford to take care of the child. She promised to help the police trace the couple whom she sold the baby to. One of the hospital staff who spoke on condition of anonymity said "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,” the source said. The search is now on for the couple that bought the child from the midwife's friend.