The suspect, simply identified as Ezinne Paul, while being paraded, confessed to the crime. According to her, “I sold my younger sister’s three weeks old baby because I want her to start her life again.”
Miss Gladys Ujuh Onuoha, the mother of the stolen boy, said she was sleeping when Mrs Paul allegedly snatched her baby from her and disappeared. She said she suspected foul play when Mrs. Paul could not give her a convincing answer about her baby’s whereabouts.
The matter was reported to the Ayobo police station and Mrs. Paul was picked up. She confessed to selling her younger sister’s baby but said that she sold her niece to help her younger sister start her life again.
However, Superintendent Frank Mba, police spokesman, while parading the suspect last Tuesday, said Mrs Paul belongs to a child theft syndicate operating in and outside the country.
“During our investigation, we discovered that Mrs Paul, who claimed to be a mother of a 7-year-old girl is not her mother. She confessed that after being married for twelve years without a child, she adopted the girl, but she could not show us the adoption papers or any document. She said termites ate them up. This is a woman who allegedly sold her sister’s child and it is now obvious that the girl with her was allegedly adopted through illegal means.”
The police also recovered photographs of family members, charms and padlocks, which Mrs Paul allegedly uses to carry out witchcraft activities.
Mr. Mba said: “The two cases are being investigated concurrently. We will ensure we get the intermediary in her sister’s case and also in the alleged adoption in Onitsha. We have a huge challenge but we will unravel and arrest those involved in this dastardly act.”
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