The Osun state police command has smashed a criminal syndicate which specialised in stealing of babies and selling to unsuspecting public under the pretence of motherless babies home.
The gang involving two lovers simply identified as Joy and Sydney allegedly came to Osogbo with Joy disguising as a fashion design apprentice, made away with the son of her boss Abdullahi Afeez on the 8th of February 2018.
Joy and Sydney who drugged Abdullahi however made their journey to Orlu in Imo state where the said boy was allegedly sold to One Mr Maxwell, an operator of Compassion motherless Babies home for four hundred thousand Naira.
Joy and Sydney who admitted to the crime also confessed to selling their kids to Maxwell for two hundred thousand Naira each, bringing to six the totality of children sold to Maxwell. Joy in her statement confessed to selling one of her kids which she had from her previous marriage,accusing Sydney of hypnotising her into committing for crime.
Luck however ran out of the syndicate as the Osun state police command in collaboration with Anambra state command apprehended one Madam Elizabeth who reportedly went through adoption process to have the stolen child in her custody.
Recounting her ordeal, Elizabeth 46, narrated that she wanted a boy having given birth to six girls. “I approached Reverend Father Chicke who was my parish priest and he told me he will help me out. He(Revd.father) later linked me with Maxwell who asked me for some documents which I provided and after, he collected 750,000 Naira from me and later requesred for another 50,000 Naira to get me the adoption certificate not knowing he stole the child.
The 18 month old boy named Abdullahi got christened Chukwuemeka. Reverend Father Chicke Ugwuejiofor of the Our Lady Of Fatima Catholic Church Onitsha, staying his side of the story denied ever knowing that Maxwell stole the child saying he only linked Maxwell to Mrs Elizabeth having known Maxwell as a licensed operator of motherless babies home.
The Osun state commissioner of police Fimihan Adeoye said the suspects will be profiled to know their level of compicity and will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
