Police in Abia State said yesterday they had busted a suspected baby factory in Aba, the commercial hub of the state.
Police spokesperson, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed this at a news conference in Umuahia, the state capital at the weekend, according to Premium Times.
ASP Chinaka said 16 pregnant girls aged between 17 and 27 years were rescued during the operation.
She said 13 of the rescued pregnant girls hail from Akwa Ibom State, while two others were from Cross River. One of the girls hails from Ebonyi State.
She said the operation was conducted on Thursday night by police operatives from the Rapid Response Squad in the state. She said the operatives also rescued eight children, comprising five males and three females, from the “baby factory”.
The eight children were aged between two and 11 years. Chinaka said two suspects – a woman and a man – allegedly harbouring the girls at the “baby factory” have been arrested by the police.
The police spokesperson identified the suspects as 29-year-old woman, Onyinyechi Okoro, and 32-year-old man, Ekene Okezie.
She said while Mrs Okoro hails from Ihechiowa Community in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, Mr Okezie is from Aro-Ndizuogu, a community in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State. “Discrete investigation is ongoing,” she said.
