Police bust child trafficking syndicate in A’Ibom

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and recovered a week old baby. Speaking yesterday during a press conference in Uyo, Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal, said the police arrested a traditional birth attendant, Comfort Edet Effiong for receiving N800,000 from one Stella Francis Edet for a child. He […]

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and recovered a week old baby.

Speaking yesterday during a press conference in Uyo, Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal, said the police arrested a traditional birth attendant, Comfort Edet Effiong for receiving N800,000 from one Stella Francis Edet for a child.

He revealed that “On 9/3/2020 at about 9pm, following a distress call, Operatives of Family Unit proceeded to Ifa Atai village and arrested one Comfort Edet Effiong ‘f’, aged 42yrs, a traditional birth attendant, on allegation by one Stella Francis Edet ‘f’, aged 26yrs of Okopedi village, Okobo Local Government Area that she went to Sapodic Clinic, Ukanafun in 2018 where one Dr. Saturday Aaron gave her injection for pregnancy which caused her womb to swell-up.”

Police said Edet received a call on 9/3/2020 from one Mfon ‘f’, other names unknown and now at large, that she was due for delivery.

“However, on getting to the delivery home, the traditional birth attendant gave her an injection on her lap to prevent her from feeling pains, and thereafter told her to lie on the floor. After a while, she noticed that the birth attendant covered her face with wrapper, used razor to cut her pelvis, and thereafter brought a baby claiming that she delivered the baby. That she raised alarm that she was not the mother of the child and fight ensued between both of them.”

The CP said it was on the basis of the investigation that the said Dr. Aaron was arrested along with two of his staff, both females, adding that some substance suspected to be concoction used in administering to women for false pregnancy was recovered.

Meanwhile, the victim, Stella Francis Edet, who paid N800,000 to enable her conceive a baby boy is asking for a refund of her money.

Edet, who our reporter observed still had a protruded stomach, told journalists that it was in search of a second child that she was referred to one Mrs Effiong, who assured that she could get her pregnant.

She stated that having been convinced, she paid N800,000 to Mrs Effiong and was given some medication and after sometimes her stomach began to protrude.

She said however when she went for ‘delivery’, after being cut open, a dead child was brought to her which she rejected.