NSCDC rescues two from Abia baby factory, arrests suspect

Two young women, Doris Nelson and Winner Ugochukwu, have been rescued from a baby factory operated by sixty-four-year-old Nnanna Michael in the Ariaria area of Aba, Abia State. The suspect was apprehended by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) following credible intelligence.

Doreen Ogechi Udugwu, Public Relations Officer of the Abia Command, revealed that Doris Nelson, a twenty-three-year-old from Gombe State, had given birth just days earlier, on September 9, 2024. Tragically, her baby was sold for N1.1 million, but Doris only received N100,000 out of the N500,000 she had been promised. Meanwhile, Winner Ugochukwu, a twenty-one-year-old from Imo State, was rescued while seven months pregnant.

During the investigation, Nnanna Michael confessed to running the operation, admitting he would house pregnant women until they gave birth, at which point he sold the infants. He claimed to have worked in a motherless baby home before engaging in the illicit trade. Michael also revealed that Doris was introduced to him by someone in Abuja, and Winner was brought to him by an associate, Evangelist First Samuel, who is currently on the run.

The NSCDC Commandant, Usman Ishaq Alfadari, stated that Michael had been running the illegal operation for some time. After completing their investigation, the case will be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further prosecution. The rescue marks a small victory in the ongoing battle against human trafficking in Nigeria.