Though they could not back the HIV claim with a medical report as they alleged the test was carried out by an auxiliary nurse, they also said in another breath that they sold the baby due to economic hardship.
The 35-year-old Nkemakolam Ugorji and his wife, Happiness, when paraded by Abia State Police Command at Police Officers’ Mess, Umuahia, revealed that they just relocated to Umuahia. Happiness’ account According to Happiness,
“I and my husband decided to sell our baby because of hardship.
We have four children and my husband is not working. When I was pregnant there was no money for me to go for antenatal and feeding was even a problem for us. That was why we decided to sell our baby,” a claim her husband concurred to.
Happiness also said it was the auxiliary nurse who delivered her of her baby that linked them to the lady, who in turn helped them to sell the baby for N300,000.
Ugorji, who said he was an orphan, added that he had been jobless since they relocated to his Isialangwa village from Port Harcourt. He confirmed that he agreed with his wife to sell the baby to raise money for his family. He said:
“I was riding Keke on hire purchase in Port Harcourt, but when I could not meet up with the payment, the owner collected it from me, so we relocated to my village in Isialangwa and since then I have not got any other job and I have nobody to help us because I am an orphan. “It was my village people, who informed the police that I sold my baby because I couldn’t give them a proper account of my baby when they discovered that my wife had delivered.”
But the lady, who allegedly linked them to the buyer of the baby, known as Nma, denied the allegation as she claimed she runs a registered charity home where she engages in legal adoption of babies for interested people, According to her, the Ugorjis approached her to source for foster parents for their baby. So, she invited one pastor, who has been married for 28 years without a child, to adopt the baby and the pastor adopted the baby for N300,000.
According to her, she prepared an affidavit for them to sign in court as part of legal adoption process but claimed that she was still in the process when the couple sold their baby.
The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, who paraded them alongside other criminal suspects, lashed out at those involved in the criminal act and wondered if they have conscience. He urged people interested in adopting children in the state to follow due process, saying it is a criminal offence to buy babies.
Vanguard
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