Chidinma Favour Okorie
The woman identified as Chidinma Favour Okorie, has been arrested by the police.
The 32-year-old woman was arrested for kidnapping children and selling each at N50, 000.
According to Daily Post, the pregnant mother of five was reportedly
caught in the act following an alarm raised by the mother of a victim
she attempted to steal in Udoma village, Umuoji in Idemili North Local
Government Area LGA, of Anambra state.
Okorie, who is also said to be part of a syndicate that has
allegedly stolen several babies in the state, said she had been in the
business for quite some time until luck ran out on her.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Sam Okaula, who paraded
the suspect before newsmen at the weekend said she was arrested on
August 2 by police detectives as she was perfecting plans to escape from
the town with a three-year-old boy earlier stolen from a compound in
the village.
The suspect, narrating her modus operandi, said she regularly came
from Ebonyi State to perpetrate her act and then sell the stolen child
for N50, 000 to a child-trafficking syndicate that works with hospitals
in Onitsha.
The mother of the victim, Victor Nneka, narrating how the incident happened, said: “The
suspect came to my compound and asked for somebody. As I knew the
person she was asking about, I told my three-year son, Victor, to take
her to the place.
“When he did not immediately return, I rushed out to look for
him. I didn’t know that she did the same to another woman and took her
three-year-old son. It was when she wanted to escape with the two boys
that we alerted the community and policeman at Osidi Police Station,” Nneka stated.
In her confession before newsmen, Okorie, a native of Amasiri, Afikpo, in Ebonyi state, said: “Usually
I come from Ebonyi State to Anambra State to steal children and sell
each one for N50,000 to a syndicate at a hospital (name withheld) in
Onitsha.
“Luck ran out on me when I went to Udoma village in Umuoji
community and I met a woman who was with her little child, and pretended
that I was looking for somebody. The mother of the boy told her son to take me to the place and from there I took him away.
“I did the same thing in another street, where I wanted to take
another three-year old before the mother of the victim alerted the
community and the police and the two stolen three-year0old boys were
rescued,” Okorie added.
“I am married and have five children. We live at Amasiri,
Afikpo Ebonyi State. I am a trader but it was greed that made me go into
child trafficking.
“I started on July 15, 2016, when I sold the son of a pastor
(name withheld) to the staff of a hospital that is part of the
syndicate.
“The doctor that owns the hospital paid me N50, 000. Immediately I got my money I went back to Ebonyi State,"
she said, adding that a certain unnamed doctor who runs a hospital in
Asaba, Delta State, administered a deadly oath on her never to disclose
the truth when arrested.
But the doctor was reportedly interrogated and denied the allegation.
The doctor said, “I didn’t know the woman. I didn’t know that
she was dealing with one of my staff with regard to child trafficking. I
only saw her once when she came for blood sample.
“I didn’t have any deal with her. I was surprised to see policemen who came and arrested me over child trafficking,” he stressed.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Supol Nkeiruka
Nwode advised parents to be more vigilant and monitor their children,
adding that they should avoid sending them on errands that are not very
necessary.
Nwode said, “The suspect could have escaped with the two little boys if their mothers had not alerted the community and the police.
“The suspects would be arraigned in court soon,” the PPRO added.
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