(From Nweke Nweke, Onitsha)
Despite the hot chase against child traffickers in Anambra State by the Ministry of Woman Affairs through the office of the Director for child development and the security agencies, the people involved in the shameful act has gone scientific in their act as people with even reputable character has joined the bad wagon just like Mrs. Anthonia Ugwurumba, a lecturer in Anambra State University, Uli, Ihiala Local Government.
Mrs. Ugwurumba was arrested and she is presently helping Ihiala Police Division in their investigation on her alleged involvement in keeping pregnant teenagers right inside her maternity home along Owerri-Onitsha expressway, Ihiala.
The female lecturer was arrested alongside with three (3) pregnant teenagers last Monday but she has according to sources offered the sum of (N100, 000.00) One hundred thousand Naira bribe to the police through some of her partners in crime as a way of seeking her freedom.
It was reliably gathered that the Investigation Police Officer, IPO had stamped the bail fee to the tune of N200, 000.00, the allegation that was rebuffed by CSP Bassey Christopher, Ihiala Divisional Police Officer, DPO when 247ureports visited his office.
It would be recalled that Mrs. Anthony Ugwurumba who is a widow was recently arrested by the police in the state on the allegation of child trafficking, roasting some of the babies and selling the parts of the already roasted ones to ritualists. During the time in question, she was allegedly arrested with a man whose duty was roasting the babies and storing the parts of the innocent ones for those that patronizes them but shamefully, both of Anthonia Ugwurumba and her cohorts later escaped through the back door of the police without facing trial.
When 247ureports visited the compound of the accused evil lecturer, three little kids at the age bracket of 10, 4 and 2 ½ years were seen and the 10-year-old boy whom probably has under gone the training of defending his madam said her madam was not around. He went further and urged this reporter to repeat his visit in the evening to see his madam on the ground that the woman accused of evil, traveled and to be back at the evening of the day of the visit.
Investigation on the activities of the child traffickers in Ihiala council area of the state revealed that the lecturer was not the only one involved. It was gathered that it is a common ‘business’ in the council area as virtually every teacher, maternity homes, hospitals, clinics patent medicine dealers, homeopathic offices among others are in the shape practices of the modern day slave trade.
On how they get their client (s), sources accused Catholic Women Organization, CWO women from the Anglican Church and other religious body mothers of patronizing the barbaric act.
The mothers of different churches are said to have preferred sending their pregnant daughter(s) to deliver in the hands of the traffickers than allowing such young girl to deliver at home, this, it was learnt was to save the image of their family and to avoid been excommunication by the Church leaders.
When contacted, CSP Bassey Christopher, Ihiala Divisional Police Officer, DPO who had earlier declined comment on the arrest and detention of Mrs. Anthonia Ugwurumba by his division whoever confirmed that child trafficking is rampant in Ihiala but vowed to tackle and dismantled those involved no matter the cream of people involved.
