Child trafficking: Army arrest two women in Plateau State with four-day-old baby bought for N300,000

Men of the Special Military Task Force, Operation safe haven, STF, Jos on Tuesday, paraded two women arrested with a four day old baby suspected to have been bought from a yet to be identified person.

The suspects, Doris Egbufurum, 39 and Esther James , 40 were said to have been intercepted with the baby at Babale Gwam checkpoint , a boundary between Plateau and Bauchi states around 7. 15pm on Monday, November 13.

It was gathered that a vigilant passenger in the vehicle raised alarm after she noticed that the newborn may have been stolen.

Commander of sector 1, Operation Safe Haven, Colonel Musa Etsu-Ndagi, who spoke to journalists shortly after the women were apprehended, days upon interrogation the prime suspect, Ebuburonu who was travelling to Lagos en route Jos from Bauchi, had confessed to have bought the baby for 300 thousand Naira.

"The suspects were intercepted at about 7:15pm on Monday and upon further questioning, it was discovered that Ms Doris had bought the baby. A passenger in the vehicle raised the alarm that she suspected that the baby with the two women was stolen because neither of them appeared to be her mother. The troops arrested them and investigation revealed that they bought the baby girl from one Mr. Abuna in Bauchi State for N300 ,000.

Miss Ebuburonu explained that her aunt in Lagos, who has been married for years without a child, had contacted her to get a baby for her.

    "I was taking the baby to a woman who has been married for a long time without a child . She sent N 320 ,000 to me for the job. I bought the baby for N 300 ,000 and wanted to use the N20 ,000 balance for transport from Bauchi to Lagos, ” She said.

The other suspect, Mrs. James explained that they were former colleagues at the Peoples Clinic in Bauchi and denied any knowledge of how Ms. Doris procured the baby.

Colonel Etsu-Ndagi said the baby was handed over to the anti trafficking unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Jos, Plateau state.

He said OPSH was making efforts to hand over the baby to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)

    "NAPTIP does not have an office in Plateau State; their closest office is in Makurdi, Benue State." he said.

He assured the Corps of the STF’s maximum cooperation in apprehending those behind the sale of the baby.