According to an investigative report by Bayo Akinloye of Punch Newspaper, Enugu State Government officials are deeply involved in the child trafficking saga going on in that State.
The amount of Baby factories in Enugu has been on the increase as young pregnant girls are held in such homes until they give birth. This has been in the news lately as the police keep unfolding such of these practices.
This is an example of one of such practices in which a 22year old Nworie Chijindu found herself. Nworie was one of three other girls that was arrested in January 2016. Before all these, she was a sales girl and along the line she got pregnant for her boyfriend. As a result of getting pregnant outside weedlock, she ran away from home and she was introduced to Dr Ozor Akpudacie. The doctor was to assist in nursing her through pregnancy. it was at this clinic that she met there otherr girls ( Miracle, Emmanuela and Chigozie)
According to Dayo's report, the police raided Dr Akpodachie's clinic and told them that they were been rescued from the doctor as his plan is to steal their babies after they give birth. At eight months pregnant Nworie was taken into the custody of the police and transferred to a clinic to give birth against her wish of going back to her family. after she gave birth, it was reported that she was maltreated and cajoled to surrender her baby. when she refused, she was forced to sign an agreement that she doesn't want to keep the baby but she refused and insisted that she wanted her baby. At some point, she said she was offered N50,000 to sign the form but she refused and she wa treatened that she will have to spend 10years in jail if she doesn't but she insisted she would rather be in jail with her baby. As the pressure mounted, her sister had to step in but she was declined access to Nworie.
Nworie's Councel who happens to be the President of Civil rights realisation and Advancement Network, Olu Omotayo also spoke about how Nworie was detained for 3 days and then arraigned on the 1st of April 2016 before the magistrate and then sent back to jail.
In the case of Ajie an Onwe, their babies were supposedly taken away from them and they got N50,000 respectively.
Dr Akpodachie was also said to have corroborated Nworie's story as he runs a Social welfare home that is approved by the Government. According to the report, he said he was approved to shelter pregnant young girls through delivery and then transfer them to the ministry who arranges the adoption process to befitting families.
my though on this their story is that Adoption is a legal process, however it should not be abused. as it stands right now, it is obvious that these guys work hand in hand to obtain children from young girls that 'catch belle'. This is absolutely wrong as they do not deserve to be pressured into giving away their children for adoption. it should be a desiton that one should take on their own without any influence. it is assumed that it is a business venture where they exploit these girls by selling their children to adoption agencies for example, an adoption agency based in Sweden claims that about 77 babies were adopted from Nigeria between 2008 and 2014
Photo credit :UNICEFUSA
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