Two
lovers, Ifeoma Ebony 32, and Emmanuel Onyekwere 32, have revealed how to steal
and traffic children in Nigeria.
According
to the lovers, they steal the children from different states in Nigeria and
sell to waiting buyers later identified as Blessing Nwankwo, Chioma Nike and
Onwa.
In
their first deal, Onyekwere without any qualms or second thought, organised and
stole the two-year-old child of his sister. Prices for the children ranged from
N250, 000, N300, 000 and N450, 000.
Ebony,
a mother of two, who had previously spent six months in prison for stealing and
selling children, said that she was also a prostitute. After leaving prison,
Ebony went back to her old ways.
When
Onyekwere was asked why he went into such a dastardly crime, he replied that
his quest to build a house for his mother pushed into the business.
His
words: “I met Ifeoma where she was working as a prostitute. She lured me into
this business of stealing and selling children. Things weren’t good for me, and
my family had no house in the village. Ifeoma assured me that stealing and
trafficking children would fetch me enough money to build a house for my
mother. It was at that point that I went to my village and stole my
sister’s two-year-old son Victor. Ifeoma and I sold him to an old woman, who
waited for us at Holy Ghost Church in Enugu State. I pretended like
I was praying in the church and we waited for the woman. I didn’t want anyone
to notice what we were doing. My sister’s son looks so much like me. The old
woman paid us N250,000.”
He
further explained that when he collected the child, many people saw him. After
selling the child, he started receiving series of calls from family members,
asking him to return Victor home. He began to panic.
“People
knew I was the last person seen with Victor. I received series of call,
asking me to return the child. They even threatened to kill me if I didn’t
bring back the child. A friend, Onwa, then took me to native doctor, who
prepared charms for me that would make my people not to ask for the child
anymore. He then collected the N250, 000 that was paid to me the sale of the
child as his fee,” narrated Onyekwere.
The
gang was smashed by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Special
Intelligence Response Team (IRT). At the last count, the operatives had
arrested a total of 12 suspects connected with the crime. Also, six among the
abducted children had been recovered by IRT.
Trouble
started for the lovers after they stole two children at Tunga Maji and Gwagwa
areas of Abuja. They sold each of the children to Nike at N300, 000.
However,
the frantic father of the child stolen at Gwagwa area of Abuja, identified
simply as Olobo, ran from pillar to post, searching for the child. He finally
reported the case to the IGP, who referred the case to the IRT Unit, headed by
a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari for thorough investigation.
Olobo,
while briefing the operatives everything he knew leading to his child
disappearance, said: “Ebony and her husband, Onyekwere, rented an apartment in
the compound where I reside with my family. They became close to my wife, who
had a one-year-old baby. A week after living in the compound, Ebony, pretended
to be assisting my wife. She carried my child, deceived my wife that she wanted
to go and plait her hair. Before we knew what was happening, Ebony and her
husband had absconded with our daughter.”
Kyari
and his men launched investigation and started tracking the lovers. They were
tracked to Asaba, in Delta State. It was through the lovers that IRT operatives
arrested alleged buyers Onyinye Benjami, Ngozi Okoli, Nwokocha Okoli,
Ndiya Kalu and Esther Ihiediwa.
Ebony,
from Enugu State, blamed her involvement in child abduction and trafficking on illiteracy.
She said that her father married two wives, had too many children and couldn’t
cater for his children, let alone to educate them.
She
recalled: “I was married off to an old man at a very young age. The old
man died two years into our marriage, after we’ve had two children. After
his death, life became difficult for my children and I. I had to take my
children to my mother in the village. I then left to Abuja to do prostitution.
I spent seven years as a prostitute in Abuja. I later moved to Oba Town in
Anambra State, after someone told me that I would make more money there as a
prostitute. I relocated, but after a year in Anambra State, a girl, Ogula, from
Benue State, told me that a nurse asked her to look for a man, that would
impregnate her. She said that after she delivers, that the child would be taken
from her and she would paid.”
Ebony
kicked against the idea of getting pregnant; to later sell the baby after
delivery. She said: “I told her that I couldn’t do such because I have two
children. I was not ready to get pregnant again. She then asked me to follow
her to her village. When we got there, Ogula stole a girl child, which she gave
to me. While I was leaving with the child, I was arrested by some security men.
I was taken to prison where I spent six months. This was in 2017.”
In
prison, Ebony Ada, who had finished serving her term. They exchanged phone
numbers. After Ebony was released, she called Ada and they agreed to meet at
the latter’s shop in Umuahia, Abia State, where she sells drinks. Ada gave
Ebony job as a waitress in her shop.
One
day when she was on duty, a man, Onwa, approached and asked her if she had
contacts of people who would like to buy children between ages of one and
three.
Ebony
noted: “I then informed Chibuzor, brother to Ada. He stole a child and gave it
to Onwa, who disappeared with the child and didn’t pay. By that time, I was
already dating Onyewkere. Onwa then contacted me three months later, asking for
business. He promised to pay N500, 000 for any child between ages one and two.
My boyfriend, Onyewkere, then went to his village and stole his sister’s
two-year-old child. We contacted Onwa, but this time we followed him down to
Enugu State where the child was sold to an old woman driving a Toyota Camry. She
paid us N250,000.”
Onwa,
an expert on stealing and selling children, explained to the lovers that they
shouldn’t make it a habit to be stealing from a particular state or community.
Ebony
stated: “Onwa advised us to steal children sighted along roads. He said that if
we are caught, we’re likely going to be burnt. He said that we should rent
apartment in a community and when we see a child, we should steal him or her,
and then abandon the apartment and community.”
Ebony
said that it was based on Onwa’s advice that she and Onyekwere went to Akuke
area of Enugu State to rent an apartment.
She
said: “We succeeded in stealing two children who were between ages two and four.
We stole them from a guy called Onyeka. He maltreated me while I worked as a
prostitute in Abuja. Onyeka was a very rough guy. when I knew him
in Abuja and it was the police that chased him out of Abuja.
Unfortunately I ran into him in Enugu and he was happy and he introduced
me to his wife and we became friends. I visit them regularly in their
house and I became familiar with their children, Ada and Chinonso. I studied
their terrine for three months and I discovered that the coast was clear, I
made away with the children and sold them to Onwa for 450,000 each.
Then Emmanuel and I relocated to Abuja and we rented an apartment at Tungamaji
area of Abuja and we stole a woman’s child who is our neighbor. The woman left
her child in my care while she went to the market and I and Emmanuel quickly
parked our things and fled with the child who we then sold to one Chioma, who
we met through Onwa, for the sum of N300,000. We then rented
another apartment at Gwagwa area of Abuja, we stayed for two weeks
and I stole a one year old baby and sold the baby to Chioma for N300,000. We
then left Abuja and ran to Ipoba Hill area of Edo State and rented an
apartment. There we stole a child belonging to a woman who was sick and could
not pay proper attention on her child. The child used to come to our own
compound to play, so, I stole the child took her to Chioma who paid us the sum
of N300,000. We spent most of these monies on food, cloths and other
frivolities. Before we were arrested, my boyfriend and I had decided to quit,
so there was this woman known as Blessing who contacted us and requested for
five children between the ages of one and two years old, I gave her a bill of
N2million and she paid instantly. Since we have decided to quit, Emmanuel and I
used the money to rent a two-bedroom flat, furnished it and we removed our sim
cards and Blessing couldn’t reach us anymore. My children are between
17 and 16 if they are stolen I will not be happy.” She narrated
On
his part, Emmauel Oyekweer 32, a native of Isialagwu north Abia
State, said his quest to build a house for his mother got into the business; “
I am a tailor. I am not yet married and I didn’t go to school. It was Ifeoma who I met where she
was working as prostitute that lured me into this business of stealing and of
little children. Things weren’t good for me and my family has no house in the
village and she assured me that the business would fetch me money to build a
house for my mother. Then I went to my village and stole my sister’s son
Victor and we sold him to an old woman who accosted us at Holy Ghost
Church in Enugu State. I pretended like I was praying when we got to the
church and I don’t anyone to notice what we were doing because the boy looks so
much like me. I was paid N250, 000. People knew I was the last
person seen with the child and they have been calling me to bring
their child. They have even threatened to kill me if I don’t bring back
the child. Onwa then took me to native doctor who prepared
fake charms for me that will make my people and he took the N250,000, I was
paid for the child. I then recruited one of my friends known as Aboy,
when we moved to Enugu State and he stole three children for, one from his
village and two from Enugu and we sold the for N900,000. I stole a total
number of eight children and I am crying because I can’t go to my village and
all the money, I made I can not to anything with it. If not for this
Ifeoma that got into this business, I wouldn’t have been in this mess.”
Narrating
her own story, Chioma Nick, 46-year-old, divorcee, who said she lost her
marriage of 22-year because she had no child with her estranged husband, and after
she got pregnant from a man she met in Ghana, her husband rejected it and sent
her parking. She said she got a mail child from her Ghanaian and when her
son grew up, he started asking for a sister, then she approached the child
welfare office in Umuhaia so she could adopt a girl child. She said she
met a woman she identified as Mummy Ohabiam, who told her that she would
link her to a syndicate that could help her get children from a different
source and all they needed to do was to perfect adoption papers from the
welfare office; “She told me the cost and I couldn’t afford it,
then I contacted one Mummy Idian Emeka, who had approached me earlier
for two children. After I got the link, I got two children from Ifeoma
and I sold them to mummy idian for N800, 000 and I got N200,000 as my
share. Ifeoma also sold four other children to me, which I sold to
several people. I have returned three and I am yet to get the last
one. I sold two of the four children to one to Mummy Onyiyechi, and they
have been returned. I sold one other to Mummy Blessing and other
one was to one Monica. Please have mercy on me. I will not do
it again. All my colleagues in this business have all ran away. Please have
mercy on me.” She pleaded.
While
Blessing Nwankwo, a native of Beden area of Abia State, a nurse, who is a
graduate of School of Heath Technology Aba; said “I have worked in several
hospital and I have a maternity home and I have been trying to get approval and
registration for my maternity home for a long time but I couldn’t get it.” “I
went into buying and selling of babies through the wife of our
Chatchist and who do not have a child for a long time and she has
been saving money for a child. I contacted Chioma, who brought a girl and the
child that was one year old and we paid her the sum of N550,000, but I
took N800,000 from the cathticist’s his wife and I made N300,000 as my
profit. Later on, Chioam then brought Ifeoma to me and told me that
Ifeoma own a home in Enugu State and if I see anyone who need a child for
adoption I should contact her. I then contacted some of my relations and
friends who were looking for children and they paid me the sum of
N2million for five children, with the promise that I will bring my
relatives to Enugu to perfect adoption documents for the children after the
payment has been done, but they disappeared when they got the money.
Their phone lines were switched off and I didn’t even know that Ifeoma had
links with the first child that was sold to me. It was when I was arrested that
I knew that the children were stolen.”
Idian
Kalu, 52, who hails from Abriba Abia State, I her confessions said; “ I
have four child children I reside in Aba Town. I have a friend my who is
barren and she was looking for a child and I told her that I will help adopt a
child at the welfare then I linked her to Chioma, and she started coming to my
house, and she told me that three was a old woman that has a home where we can
adopt children I indicated my interest and she brought a child for me and
I gave it to my sister who needed it and the sum of N550,000 was paid for
the, thought I took N650,000 and I made N100,000 profits, that was in the
year 2016. But in 2017, Chioma called again and said that two
children all girls were available for adoption, I contacted people who had told
me that the needed them and I took the girls and paid Chioma the sum of
N550,000 each.” She lamented
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