The Sun reports that a 22-year-old woman arrested by the Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Anambra State Police Command has confessed to having sold 20 children since she went into child trafficking business. Most of the children she sold between N150,000 – N200,000, were kidnapped on their way home from school. The suspect, Chinaza Onwuasoanya was impregnated by her boyfriend in Lagos and returned to Anambra State to have the baby after which she sold the child to a 45-year-old woman, Goodness, who runs an orphanage, which the police allege was a cover for a baby trafficking operation.
Onwuasoanya sold her newborn baby girl to Goodness, in exchange for the sum of N150,000. On realizing that she could make easy money from selling children, she moved into child-trafficking. Recounting her journey into child-trafficking, Onwuasoanya told Sunday Sun, she said:
“I got into child trafficking two years ago. I have sold 20 male and female children to Madam Goodness who operates the orphanage. She paid me between N150,000 and N200,000 for each baby I sold to her. I got to know her when I became pregnant and gave birth to a girl on October 4, 2013. After I delivered the baby, a friend introduced me to Madam Goodness. I took my daughter to her and she gave me N150,000.00, to take care of myself. After that time, I decided to go into child trafficking by kidnapping children coming back from school or getting them in the street. Then I would take them to Madam Goodness. And she would sell them between N150,000 and N200,000. But I was arrested on May 1, 2017, when I stole a set of twins at an estate in Onitsha and took them to my house. Suddenly the father of the twins traced me to my house and came with policemen and I was arrested.”
Onwuasoanya who hails from Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State, also made more interesting revelations to the police while being interrogated. She confessed to being a member of the gang of robbers who killed two policemen, Inspector Shuaibu Usman and Sergeant Julius Matthew, of Police Mobile Force 29 in February, 2017 at Nkpor fly-over, Onitsha and took their AK-47 rifles, which were later used to commit robberies in Nkpor, Obosi, Ogidi, Nkpor Old Road, Awka, Oye-agu.
She also assisted the SARS operatives to arrest three members of the gang while the other six members escaped and are still at large. She disclosed that she was always given her own share of the money made during robbery operations, saying that she got between N50,000 and N80,000. She is now regretting associating with armed robbers and engaging in child-trafficking.
“I have regretted what I did. My parents are alive. It was my friend who introduced to child trafficking and which led me to armed robbery today,”
The Commander of SARS, Supol Sunday Okpe confirmed that Ownuasoanya’s confession led to the arrest of three people alleged to be members of the gang. The suspects are: Ifeanyi Onwukwe a.k.a Nger, 22; Chidubem Osita a.k.a Kabaka, 23, and Chijioke Obi a.k.a Abababa, who is 23 years old. Upon interrogation, Onwukwe confessed that they killed two policemen at Nkpor.
“We went with one vehicle and three motorcycles which we always used for our robbery operations. We always met at the football field at Nkpor to plan our strategies. The SARS operatives recovered an AK47 rifle from us. We used the AK47 rifle to carry out our operations.”
Goodness who admitted to running an orphanage, which had 15 children, however, denied engaging in child trafficking.
“Students who got pregnant come to us to deliver their babies, and we take care of them. Also children whose parents died are brought to us too. I don’t sell children rather I take care of them. I have never known Chinasa Onwuasoanya in my life.”