A young woman, 20, named Abiola Komolafe, has recounted how her aunt sold her one-month-old son was sold to a child trafficking syndicate in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Komolafe was among the 182 suspects paraded by the Delta State Police Command in Asaba, for crimes such as child trafficking, robbery, kidnap, murder, cultism and terrorism.

According to the state police commissioner, Hafiz Inuwa, the child trafficking syndicate practices trafficking young pregnant girls and selling their babies.

Inuwa disclosed that the gang was discovered after a diligent investigation by his men.

The CP said that the syndicate included three women whose job specification is to trick young pregnant girls to Onitsha where they’ll deliver their babies who are in turn sold.

The young mothers will be deceived to believe their babies died during delivery.

Inuwa said: “In the course of investigation, Tolulope Bosede confessed that she tricked Abiola Komolafe from Akure to Onitsha, where she successfully gave birth to a baby boy.

“But she later took the baby from her and sold him to Mrs Nkaneme Melife, 37, in Onitsha, while she lied to the mother that the baby died some hours after delivery.”

“The buyer, Mrs Nkaneme Melife, also later sold the child to another buyer, Mrs Ekunno Ifeyinwa, 56, of Onora family house Abba village, Onitsha.

“Meanwhile, the two buyers have been arrested along with one Josephine Unnoha and the stolen child recovered.”

In addition to that, the police boss said that the arrest of members of the syndicate led to the rescue of another two weeks old male child.

According to him, they suspect that the baby must have been stolen by Mrs Ekunno Ifeyinwa.

Speaking with The Nation, Komolafe, said her difficulty started after the death of her parents.

After the death of her parent, she was forced to live with her aunt in Akure, Ondo State.

Komolafe went on to explain that after her secondary school education, she trained as a hairstylist and makeup expert.

She was impregnated by her lover who abandoned her and ran away afterwards, leaving her in a dilemma.

She said: “My aunt promised to take me to a woman in Onitsha, who would assist me by giving her a nanny’s job and support my unborn child.

“I believed her because she was nice to me after I lost my parents, following which she accommodated me in her house in Akure.

”Shortly after I got to Onitsha, I gave birth at a hospital but I was told that my child died during delivery.”

According to Komolafe, she was saddened due to the loss of her son. But never speculated any foul play.

She continued, “As we were going back to Akure, the driver inquired if I had just given birth because he overheard my aunt and another woman haggling the price of a baby boy.

“I told the driver that I had just given birth but was told my baby died.

“I begged him (the driver) to drive into any police station for proper investigation on my missing child.

“As we drove into Asaba, Delta State, the driver pulled into a petrol station to buy fuel and raised the alarm that attracted police on guard duty at the filling station and the suspects were arrested,” she said.

The 20-year-old mother said she neither regrets informing the police nor does she feel like she has betrayed her aunt because her aunt does not wish her well.

She expressed joy that her son had been rescued and praised the police for acting fast to rescue her son.

“I will not go back to Akure. I will find a job in Asaba as a hairstylist and earn a living to fend for my son.”

In any case, Komolafe’s aunt, Mrs Tolulope Bosede, begged for mercy as she blamed the devil for her action.