Photo: Intending couple collect N500, 000 to sell children in Imo

Many were speechless as some suspects revealed how they stole two children of one Abigail Ukah in Uzoagba, Ikeduru local government area of Imo State and sold them for N1.1 million. The deal was allegedly masterminded by the cousin to the children’s mother, Ms. Oluchi Chibike, with the collaboration of her would be husband, Obinna Eze.

At the parade of suspected criminals yesterday in Owerri, the Imo state capital by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike, the would be husband, Obinna Eze, confessed that he only collected the sum of N500,000 for the sales of the children. The children now recovered by the police are five year old, Francis Nwachukwu and his two year old sister Chimazaekpere Nwachukwu. According to the Police Commissioner, Ezike,

 “On the 29th day of August 2017, Oluchi Chibike, the cousin to Abigail Ukah, came to Uzoagba in Ikeduru local government, Imo state, in company of one Obinna Eze, whom Oluchi Chibike, told the victim, Abigail Ukah, was her intended husband.” 

According to Ezike, their mission was to take the children of Abigail, Francis and Chimazaekpere to Obinna’s house for a visit and unknown to Abigail it was a plan to take her children away.”

Ezike added that, Obinna and Oluchi, hired and allegedly paid the sum of N160, 000 to Vitalis Lumanze and Chinatu alias Salasco to attack and collect the children from Abigail. He continued:

“In the morning of 30th of August 2017, Oluchi and Obinna took the two children to Enugu and sold them to 45 year old Mrs Nkiru Nwanedu of Egwedi in Njaba LGA, Imo state, at the cost of N1,100,000, , but they were paid N700, 000, with a promise to be paid the balance at a later date.” 

The commissioner said that in the course of the investigation, the children were resold by Nwanedu, to one Mrs. Jacinta Amadi of Egede in Udi ,LGA, in Enugu state.

 “Amadi, took the custody of the children from 30th August 2017 till 27 October 2017 when they were arrested from their various hideouts in Enugu State and the two children recovered.”

Speaking to Vanguard, Mrs. Oluchi Chibike, cousin to Mrs Abigail Ukah, said:

 “Abigail Ukah is my relation. I was not the person who stole the children , but I showed Obinna the children. I don’t leave together with my sister. So, the only way I got involved was that I initiated the process that led to the sale of the children.” Mrs Nkiru Nwanedu , who allegedly bought the children from Obinna and Oluchi, disclosed that she met Oluchi at a fellowship. “Oluchi told me the children were from an orphanage home and said she was going to sell the children for N1.1 million before we started haggling and finally agreed for N800,000.”

 On what she knows about the children, Mrs Jacinta Amadi, whom the Police recovered the children from said:

 “I do not know anything about the stealing of the children. I only adopted these children. I did not know that the legal process was not followed. This happened in Enugu state, in a church programme.” 

Also speaking, the husband to be to Oluchi Chibike, Mr. Obinna Eze said:

 “The truth is that I exposed the whole thing and now they are heaping the blame on me. I was given N500, 000. Oluchi is the initiator of this business. “She can tell the story better. Oluchi went to her maternal home and deceived the mother of the children and took them away. She saw me at a burial ceremony and started pointing at me that was how we met. “I left the venue and one Sunday they invited me to a child dedication ceremony at World Bank in Owerri. At that occasion, Oluchi presented me as her husband to be without me knowing their plans. That was how she planned and took away the children.”