Baby factory: Nine pregnant women arrested

Baby factory: Nine pregnant women arrested

Local News   11:58:00 PM

OPERATIVES of the Anti-Kidnap Unit of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested nine pregnant women during their raid of a suspected baby factory in Umuikpe in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State.

The pregnant women, who were members of a baby-making syndicate, were paraded in Port Harcourt on Monday. They were between the age of 21 and 25 years.



Also arrested was a 68-year-old private security man, John Ndukwe, who was manning the gate of the baby factory identified as Charity and Rehabilitation Centre.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, told newsmen that the arrest of the pregnant women followed the abduction of a four-year-old boy, Friday Alioma; and a pregnant woman, Happiness Samuel; in Ogbogoro, Obio/Akpor LGA on May 15 and 16, 2016 respectively.

“Through discreet investigation, one Nkechi Oguama, a native of Ugiri in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, was arrested with Ngozi Ogbonna, Blessing Izimanze and Favour Ogbonma in connection with the abduction.

“They denied kidnapping four-year-old Friday Alioma. But, they confessed to have known about the kidnap of Hapiness Samuel. Five more pregnant women, who were suspected members of the syndicate, were also apprehended through information given to the police by the first group of suspects.

“The five suspects are Ijeoma Ofor, Chioma Nkeze, Peace Sunday Matthew, Joy Chisom, Chinyere Monday and the security man, John Ndukwe. One of the suspects, Ngozi Ogbonna, led a team of Anti-Kidnap Unit to the Rehabilitation Centre, where the other suspects were arrested.

“On interrogation, all the girls admitted that they went there to deliver and sell the children. We are still on the trail of the director,” the state police spokesman said.

He disclosed that the operator of the baby factory, one Mrs. Ama (surname unknown) was currently on the run, adding that the police were currently on her trail.

Muhammad stated that the suspects would soon be charge to court, even as he warned those involved in selling babies to fake charity home operators to desist from the act.

However, one of the pregnant women, Ngozi Ogbonna, disclosed that she sold her first baby in 2015 to the operator of the baby factory for N100,000 shortly after delivery.

“I am into ‘runs’ (prostitution) before I got pregnant and an agent of the woman (baby factory operator) advised me to go to the charity home. The woman was taking care of me and other pregnant women.

“My first baby was a girl and I gave her to the woman and collected N100,000 from her,” Ogbonna said in passable English.

Also, the security man arrested alongside the pregnant women told newsmen that he was not aware that the business the woman was doing was illegal, maintaining that he was only concerned with receiving his N20,000 monthly salary.

Posted via Blogaway

Chibok girl’s rescue gives us hope- Buhari

Chibok girl’s rescue gives us hope- Buhari

Local News   9:03:00 PM

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said the rescue of Amina Ali, one of the over 200 girls

kidnapped in their school in Chibok, Borno State in 2014 had rekindled his hope that the remaining

girls would be rescued alive.

He assured Nigerians and other stakeholders that his administration would do everything possible to

rescue the girls from the captivity of Boko Haram.


Buhari spoke when he received the rescued girl at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The girl was led to the President’s office by the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima; the

Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali; the National Security Adviser, Babangana Monguno; the Chief of

Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonishakin, and other top government officials amid tight security.

“Rest assured that this administration will continue to do what it can to rescue the Chibok girls who

are still in Boko Haram’s captivity. Amina’s rescue gives us new hope‎ and offers a unique opportunity

to vital information,” the President told his guests.

Aisha Buhari gives N55m from her book profits to Chibok parents

Aisha Buhari gives N55m from her book profits to Chibok parents

Local News   9:49:00 PM

Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, has fulfilled her promise of donating proceeds from the public presentation of her book, “The Essentials of Beauty Therapy. A Complete Guide for Beauty Specialists,” to parents of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in April 2014 and the parents of the boys also abducted in Buni Yadi.

According to a statement made available to journalists late on Tuesday by the Director of Media in her office, Zakari Yau Nadabo, a total of N55m was presented to the two categories of people at a brief ceremony inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Although dignitaries who attended the public presentation on April 14 at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa had refused to disclose their donations, Mrs. Buhari had promised that the proceeds would go to the distraught parents.

She also said the fund would be coordinated by wife of the Vice-President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo.

According to the statement, a cheque of N30m was presented to the representatives of the parents of the abducted Chibok girls while another cheque of N20m was presented to those from Buni Yadi.

The statement also quoted Mrs. Buhari as urging the grieving parents to remain patient while government continues its effort to rescue the girls and reunite them with their families.

She also expressed the hope that normal activities would be restored in all the areas affected by  insurgency in due course.

The statement also quoted the chairman of the Chibok girls parents, Mr. Yakubu Keki, as commending efforts aimed at providing succour to the parents.

He was also quoted as thanking the Federal Government for making it possible for the inhabitants to return to their homes instead of languishing in the bush for fear of attacks by the insurgents.

He reportedly said the parents were confident and optimistic that their children will eventually reunite with them to continue a normal life.

A member of the House of Representatives from Chibok, Asabe Bashir, also thanked the Wife of the President for the motherly gesture and  urged the Vhibok parents to acknowledge the concerted effort of the present administration in bringing to end the spate of insurgency in the country.

The Wife of the President was also said to have received a delegation of medical experts from abroad and their local partners on a crusade to stop tuberculosis.

Mrs. Buhari promised to mobilise other major stakeholders for a nationwide campaign to stop tuberculosis and consistent advocacy through her Future Assured Initiative .

How security officers rescued school girls kidnapped in Lagos school

How security officers rescued school girls kidnapped in Lagos school

Local News   3:54:00 PM

A huge public outcry and the pressure on security agents may have been contributory factors to the rescue of three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

The girls — Timilehin Olosa, Tofunmi Popoola and Deborah Akinayo — were kidnapped by gunmen on Monday on their school premises.

It was gathered that the public outcry prompted the government to meet the needs of security agencies on the rescue operation, while the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, sent his special team to Lagos to take over the operation.

The security agents had combed every nook and cranny of the state, especially the Ikorodu area, making the abductors uncomfortable to stay in one place.

Our correspondent was told by one of the security agents involved in the rescue operation that it was discovered that the victims were initially taken to Adamo forest immediately after their abduction.

Adamo forest is across the river in Lugbusi community, where the school is situated in Ikorodu.

The source said, “We gathered that the kidnappers were 12 men, and they came in eight canoes. They used seven AK-47 rifles for the operation.

“One of the men, who we later identified as Lamiameni, brought the kidnapping job to the gang, while another member, known as Felix, alias Tradition, was the one communicating with the families for ransom negotiation.”

Another source said from the forest, the gang moved to a creek, located between Ikorodu and Epe, Lagos State, where they also held the girls.

Security agents were said to have had the first break on March 4, when a suspected kidnapper, Emmanuel Arigidi, aged 37, was sent by the gang from the creeks to buy foodstuffs.

He was said to have bought foodstuffs big enough for an army, which confirmed the suspicion that he was a member of the gang. He was subsequently arrested.

He said, “Arigidi broke down during interrogation and confessed to being a member of the gang that stole the schoolgirls. He gave us the direction to the place they were keeping the girls, and mentioned the names of other members. He even promised to lead the operatives to the location.”

It was gathered that after waiting for Arigidi for two days, the gang sensed that something was amiss and thereafter moved to an area around Igbo Okuta Bridge, Imota, Ikorodu.

It was gathered that possible hiding places had been discussed among the gang members during the planning of the kidnapping.

When security operatives therefore noticed that there were no activities in the creek, they suspected that the gang had fled the area. But Arigidi had no problem in revealing the place they could be.

Also, the relatives of suspected abductors mentioned by Arigidi were said to have been rounded up and made to plead with their people on the telephone to release the girls.

It was learnt that the fathers of two of the suspected kidnappers were allowed on Saturday to go after their sons to talk to them and other gang members to release the girls.

“At about 5am on Sunday, over 500 operatives, comprising the IG team, the Lagos State Police Command and other security agencies stormed Imota and rescued the schoolgirls at the Igbo Okuta Bridge area of Ikorodu,” a source said. Two other suspected kidnappers were arrested during the operation.

Another top police source said that the family had not paid any ransom before the girls were rescued, adding that creeks in Ikorodu were still being combed for other Arigidi’s gang members.

He said, “The boys (kidnappers) came through the shallow water behind the school with eight canoes and seven AK-47 rifles for the operation and escaped with the kidnapped girls with the same canoes. Arigidi mentioned Clement Abanara, aka Millions, earlier arrested by the IG team, as his boss.”

Another police source, however, said the kidnappers abandoned the girls and fled the scene.

He said, “The arrest of one of Arigidi’s gang members forced other members of the gang to abandon the girls at Imota. Efforts are in progress to arrest the fleeing kidnappers.”

I kidnapped people to pay for my brideprice, kidnapper confesses

I kidnapped people to pay for my brideprice, kidnapper confesses

Local News   11:04:00 PM

A man, Uzordima Chukwudi, 29 has said he took to kidnapping just to pay the bride price for his girlfriend before he was nabbed by cops.

 He was arrested alongside some other members of the group in connection with the kidnap of a woman in Imo State, Nigeria.

In his confession to journalists during the week, Chukwudi said he was once studying Mechanical Engineering at Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State before he dropped out in his final year.

He explained that the pressure to raise the bride price of his pregnant girlfriend lured him into the crime.
 He said:

 “My girlfriend is pregnant and I have been under pressure to pay her bride price but I had no money. She told me that since she became pregnant her mother had been ostracised by her fellow women in their village. The pressure was too much that I needed to look for money by all means.”

He is yet to be charged to court.