NAPTIP arrests Nigerian-American for buying twin babies

An illegal baby factory operating in Aba, Abia State, has been shut down by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), just as a Nigerian-American lady has been arrested for allegedly buying a set of twins from the facility.

The Head, Public Relations of NAPTIP, Stella Nezan, who made this known in a statement on Tuesday, said the baby factory, Nwamaka Herbal Centre, was sealed off by operatives of the agency following the refusal of the owner to respond to invitations extended to her following reports of illegal activities going on there.

According to Nezan, the Nigerian-American was arrested when she was found with the twins which she claimed to have delivered at the centre in March when she returned from the United States.

According to the NAPTIP spokesperson, the Nigerian-American who claimed to be a pastor in the US, said she did not know the father of the twin children because she was involved in multiple sexual affairs in September 2018 in Amsterdam, and experienced some strange symptoms a month later.

“From that point, she claimed to have become confused as she could not ascertain her pregnancy status until she visited a hospital in Atlanta before coming to Nigeria,” the statement said.

“During interrogation, the suspect said after several encounters with doctors outside Nigeria who couldn’t confirm if she was pregnant, she decided to come to Nigeria to seek medical services.

“She further narrated that on March 5, 2020, she came to Nigeria and went to see one Mrs Ijeoma, who gave her some sort of medicine said to have been mixed with honey and that a few hours later, she gave birth to a set of twins. She claimed to have paid the suspect, Nwamaka, the sum of N2m for the delivery.

“The deal was further blown open when the Nigerian-American approached the American Embassy in Abuja to procure necessary documents that would enable her to leave Nigeria with the children.

“The Embassy doubted her claims and conducted a martenal DNA test, which returned negative. The DNA result revealed that she is not the biological mother of the children and that the babies were not even related to her.

“NAPTIP suspected foul play when the owner of the Nwamaka Herbal Centre, where she claimed to have been delivered of the baby, ran away when she learnt that security operatives were in search of her.

“However, three suspects connected to the crime have been arrested with a manhunt launched for Nwamaka, the owner of the herbal centre.

“The babies are presently receiving adequate care at the shelter of the agency while investigation continues.”