Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of
Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), have arrested a 38 year old herbalist,
Chigozie John Emmanuel, A.K.A ‘Akuchi’, for allegedly deceiving women
into thinking they are pregnant and thereafter giving other people's
babies to them having collected lots of money.
A statement issued on Sunday by the agency, said Mr.
Emmanuel from Enugu State is the owner of Akuchi Herbal Concept, located
at New Nyanya, Abuja.
He was arrested at the weekend after weeks of diligent
surveillance by officers of the Agency and those of the Department of
State services.
His arrest was based on a previous arrest by the Nigerian
Police, of a woman whom they saw with a baby in Abuja enroute Minna,
Niger State. Based on their suspicion, they detained and questioned the
woman on the identity of the baby she carried. She admitted to being a
patient of Mr. Emmanuel, whom she said administered some herbs to her
after years of infertility.
She thereafter appeared pregnant and was cautioned against
going to the hospital for any medical treatment or ante-natal care. When
it was time for her ‘delivery’, Mr. Emmanuel directed her to
Port-Harcourt where a baby was handed over to her. She confessed to
paying Mr. Emmanuel the sum of six hundred and fifty thousand naira
(N650,000) for his services.
Mr Emmanuel is helping further investigations on sale of
human beings and child trafficking. Reacting to the arrest, the
Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli commended the Officers
for their painstaking surveillance which culminated in the arrest.
She further warned the Public, especially women, to stop
patronizing such ‘herbalists’, as the sale of babies is a crime
punishable by law.
The NAPTIP boss advised couples who wish to adopt a child
to go through the legal means of adoption as anything short of that is
legally and morally wrong. According to her, some of the babies they
sell to these women were abducted from their biological parents and sold
off against their wish.
She reiterated the Agency’s resolve to tackle the issue of
child trafficking in Nigeria and called for more information from the
general public about any such act or ‘maternity homes’ being run in
their neighbourhood where unwholesome activities take place.
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