The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested a herbalist specialising in the sale of new born babies.
38 years old, his name is Chigozie Emmanuel who is popularly referred to as Akuchi.
He was arrested after a combined team of NAPTIP and the Department of State Services, DSS, investigated him.
He is said to be helping in further investigations on sale of human beings and child trafficking.
According to a statement issued by NAPTIP on Sunday in Abuja, Emmanuel who is from Enugu State and the owner of Akuchi Herbal Concept.
His office is located at New Nyanya, Abuja and he was accused of “deceiving women into thinking they are pregnant and thereafter giving other people’s babies to them having collected lots of money.’’
The statement reads in part: “The 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.
READ ALSO: CAN donates relief materials to 8,000 IDPs
“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 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.’’
When speaking on the incident, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli, warned members of the public against supposed herbalists who engage in the sale of babies.
She said there were rules for adopting babies and that they should go through the right channel in doing that.
While commending the officers for effecting the arrest, she urged members of the public to always furnish law enforcement agencies with useful information.
