The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 17-year-old boy for allegedly impregnating 10 ladies.
The suspect, Noble Uzuchi, was nabbed with his accomplice, Chigozie Ogbonna, 29.
According to the authorities, the two suspects and two other ladies – Favour Bright and Peace Alikoi – were allegedly running a baby factory.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko said that the arrests were carried out following a tip-off.
In a statement, Iringe-Koko said that the four suspects operated in the Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre Local Government Areas.
She added that the 10 pregnant ladies had been rescued by the force operatives after the raid on and arrest of the suspects.
“On Saturday, 7th January2023, around 4.45 pm, while acting on credible intelligence available to the Rivers State Police Command, C4I Intelligence Unit operatives raided two houses at Igwuruta and Omagwa communities respectively, where victims of child trafficking were being kept.
“The victims rescued in the operation are 10, most of them pregnant”, she said.
Iringe-Koko said that investigations found that when a victim delivered her baby, the syndicate leader kept the child and paid N500,000 while some of the babies previously delivered in the houses had been sold.
“All the victims confessed that they were lured into the illicit sales of children because of the need to meet some financial challenges.
“A white Honda Pilot SUV was recovered from the syndicate’s leader”, she further said.
