The Anambra State Government has uncovered a child trafficking case in the state in which a self-acclaimed woman of God allegedly sold a newborn for ₦2.5 million and handed over ₦300,000 to the baby’s mother.
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra State, Chinyere Onyekesi, disclosed this in a statement posted on the ministry’s official Facebook page on Wednesday.
Mrs Onyekesi said the self-acclaimed woman of God, Precious Uchenna, earlier accommodated the young mother after her family rejected her.
The commissioner said that, rather than report the young mother’s condition to the appropriate authorities, Mrs Uche allegedly began negotiating and facilitating the transfer of the infant to her sister without the involvement of the ministry or the Nigeria Police Force.
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She condemned the incident and stressed that no amount of parental consent, private agreement, or informal documentation could legalise the sale or transfer of a child outside the provisions of the law.
Mrs Onyekesi noted that issues relating to child welfare, adoption, and custody must always follow due legal process.
“The issue I am seeing here is a case of child trafficking,” she told the suspect in a video clip which accompanied the statement.
Mrs Uche was heard in the clip confirming that she sent the young mother ₦300,000 out of the ₦2.5 million realised from the sale of the newborn.
She did not provide answers to questions regarding her reason for withholding the balance.
The commissioner then informed Mrs Uche and the buyer, who was also in her office, that the ministry was about to hand them over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
Praise for special anti-touting squad
Mr Onyekesi also praised the Special Anti-Touting Squad for Anambra State for its vigilance and timely intervention, which led to the discovery of the case.
The squad is a vigilante group set up by the state government.
The commissioner reassured Anambra residents of the ministry’s commitment to protecting children across the state.
She urged residents to promptly report any suspected cases of child trafficking, illegal adoption, or child exploitation to the ministry or the security operatives instead of attempting to resolve such matters privately.
Prohibited in Nigeria
Nigeria in 2015 enacted the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, which outlawed all acts of human trafficking in the country.
The Act prescribes a minimum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of ₦1 million for the trafficking of children, depending on the purpose of such trafficking.
Several persons have been convicted of child trafficking across the country.
The Kano State High Court, in July 2021, sentenced a man, Paul Owne, to 91 years in prison for kidnapping and trafficking of children in the state for sale in Onitsha, Anambra State.
A Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, in 2019, sentenced three persons to a combined 12 years’ imprisonment for trafficking a two-year-old male child and one other child.