By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
A trader at Amaraku weekly market in Isiala-mbano Local Government of Imo state, has lost her 7-month-old baby to a suspected child trafficker.
The babygirl, according to reports, was taken away by another woman who merely offered to help the young mother to carry her crying baby while she sold her commodities.
But when the innocent woman gave her daughter out in order to be relieved, the woman disappeared into the dense crowd with the baby.
The storyteller (name withheld) who narrated part of it said that the fleeing woman had also persuaded the baby-mother to give her a rapper to enable her carry the baby at her back but she willingly agreed to that.
“I was buying some foodstuff today at Amaraku market when a woman started shouting, ‘my baby, my baby, where is my baby?’
“She had given her 7 months old baby out to a stranger while she was selling Okro and other vegetables because the baby was crying and disturbing.
“The stranger carried the baby on her back but later disappeared into the crowd. When the woman realized the woman was no longer on sight, she started shouting and crying.
“Other traders around helped to search for the woman but could not find her. The woman may have been charmed by the stranger because no one in her right senses will release her baby in such an environment over ten thousand buyers and sellers. What is she going to tell her husband?”
Recall also that four kids between the ages of two to four years were taken away by a female neighbour in Amato community in Njaba LGA of Imo state, about a month ago.
The whereabouts of both the neighbour and the kids has remained unknown till today.
Contacting the Traditional Ruler of Amaraku Autonomous community, His Royal Highness, Eze Joseph Mbamara, he said he was not privy to the story at the moment of filing this report.