Edo woman arrested for buying 9-day-old baby for N400,000

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old woman, Juliet Agbonifo, for buying a nine-day-old baby at the cost of N400,000.

The seller of the baby, Wilfred Nosa Egahae (62), who runs Uyiosa Clinic and Maternity Home in Benin City, was also arrested.

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Parading the suspects, the command’s spokesman, SP Chidi Nwanbuzor, said, “The DPO of Ogida received information that a woman, Juliet Agbonifo, had procured a child at Ogida area and he moblised to the scene to arrest her.”

He said the woman led the police to the man, Wilfred Nosa Egahae, who sold the child to her at the cost of N400,000.

He further said, “The woman who gave birth to the baby is not yet known, but the baby is nine days old.”

“The seller pretends to be a medical doctor and might have gotten the baby from a source in the hospital.”

Speaking with journalists, Wilfred, a retired nurse, said one Prosper Peter delivered in his maternity where the baby was bought but denied knowledge of the transaction.

He said, “I retired as a chief nursing officer and I run a maternity home, Uyiosa Clinic and Maternity, located off Eromosele Street, off Ekhiakpen, Benin, where the woman delivered.

“The mother, Prosper Peter, delivered in our facility and the buyer is linked to one of our nurses who connects them. I was not part of the negotiation, but I heard that the money was N400,000. I called today and she said she was coming to the station but she hasn’t come.”

On her part, Juliet said she needed a baby hence she bought the nine-day-old.

She said, “I bought the baby at the cost of N400,000 and I paid another N20,000 for the hospital and discharge bills.

“I don’t know the mother of the baby and the man (Wilfred) who sold the baby to me said after some months he would do the normal things so that the deal would be covered.”

She said the police got to know of the crime, when her son’s girlfriend reported her to the police that she had bought a baby because they had a misunderstanding.