Confusion Trails Arrest Of ‘Baby Factory Operators’ As Mothers Deny Selling Children
Controversy is now trailing the busting and arrest of ‘baby factory’ operators by the Eagle Crack Unit of the Rivers State Police command. This followed claims by the operators of Tenderlife Rescue Initiative (TRI), owners of the orphanage home where 25 babies and 4 pregnant teenagers were taken into custody by the police, that the organization was duly registered with the Rivers State Government.
The Rivers State Police spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Nnamdi Omoni had in a press briefing said the operators of the orphanage home are a child trafficking syndicate.
But facts emerging from the arrest show that the Rivers State Police command may not have followed due diligence as National Network sighted original Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) documents which showed that TRI is registered and Article 3 of the Aims and Objectives clearly captures that the NGO is ‘to rescue pregnant teenagers from committing abortion and taking care of the children given birth to’.
The Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare in another letter sighted by our reporter recommended the Non Governmental Organization for services in Ogoni land under KIISI trust fund.
Investigations also showed that the Ministry of Social Welfare gave the NGO an Attestation Letter of one year probation contrary to the claims by the Ministry that the NGO is not known to them.
In the meantime some of the mothers of the babies in custody of the Police have dismissed reports that they sold their babies.
Ulochi Akumeze and Kuna Dumbari who spoke on behalf of the others told National Network that they came to the operators of the orphanage home when they were pregnant because they did not want to commit abortion.
Miss Akumeze explained that she signed to take her child back when the baby gets to one year and six months by which time she would have been financially stable. Her claims were corroborated by other mothers.
The mothers called on the Government of Rivers State and well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Police to hand over their babies to them while exonerating the operators of the home of any wrong doing.
Checks by our reporter shows that the owner of the orphanage home and seven other people arrested in the premise of the NGO have been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
Report say two of the mothers of the babies who came to give testimony on Saturday at SCID were detained by the Police.
