By Favour Ulebor
PORT HARCOURT — The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has sealed a maternity facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over alleged baby sale and trafficking involving a Liberian national resident in Belgium.
The agency said its operatives, in collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Health, also arrested the owner of the facility, an alleged facilitator in the suspected baby sale and another staff member.
NAPTIP disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying the arrests followed actionable intelligence on a suspected child trafficking syndicate operating from the facility.
The maternity, located in the Elelenwo area of Port Harcourt, was allegedly operating from a residential apartment and suspected of being used for the procurement, sale and unlawful transfer of children.
According to the agency, preliminary investigations revealed that the Liberian national arrived in Nigeria without evidence of pregnancy but allegedly took custody of three children within about one month.
NAPTIP said intelligence available to the agency indicated that about N13.5 million changed hands in connection with the transfer of the three children and other members of staff of the maternity.
The agency said its operatives from Abuja and Rivers State, alongside officials of the state Ministry of Health, conducted a coordinated operation at the facility, sealing the premises to preserve the scene and safeguard potential evidence pending the outcome of investigations.
It said investigators were conducting forensic and documentary inquiries to establish the identities, whereabouts and welfare of the children, as well as determine their biological and legal parentage.
The investigation would also establish the identities of persons allegedly involved in the procurement and transfer of the children and trace financial transactions and other circumstances surrounding their alleged procurement.
NAPTIP said it was also examining the possible involvement of medical personnel and other individuals who may have facilitated the suspected criminal enterprise.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed concern over the activities of some maternity and healthcare facility operators across the country, particularly their alleged involvement in illegal adoption, child sale and trafficking.
“I am particularly disturbed that foreign nationals now come to Nigeria to patronise these suspected criminal elements and procure children like a common object of trade across the border. This is sad and totally unacceptable,” Bello said.
She added that the agency had widened its investigation to identify all persons allegedly involved in the case and bring those found culpable to justice.
“We have spread our dragnet to fish out all those involved in this case, and they shall be made to face the full wrath of the law,” she said.
Bello reaffirmed that the investigation remained ongoing and that all persons found connected to the case would be subjected to due process under the law.
She said the agency’s foremost priority was to ensure the safety and welfare of the affected children while ensuring that anyone found culpable was brought to justice.
The NAPTIP DG urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspected cases of child trafficking, illegal adoption, baby-selling and other forms of exploitation to the agency through its nearest zonal or state command.
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