A mother named Happiness Monday has been apprehended by the Rivers State Police Command for selling her newborn baby for N400,000. Alongside her, a midwife named Success Igwe, known for facilitating the sale of infants, was also taken into custody. Reports indicate that their arrests stemmed from intelligence regarding a location in Rumuokwurusi town, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, suspected of being a hub for the illegal sale of newborns. Following this information, CP Olatunji Disu instructed CSP Grace Wonwu to investigate the baby trafficking ring. On July 6, 2024, police discovered a 17-year-old pregnant girl, who was reportedly at risk of having her baby sold, and rescued her along with Happiness, whose baby had already been sold. In an interview, Happiness disclosed that she received N400,000 for her child. When questioned about her decision, she cited extreme poverty and hunger as driving factors. Lacking education, job opportunities, and social support, she felt she had no choice but to part with her baby. She shared her story, explaining that she had moved from Akwa Ibom to Port Harcourt in search of work but was displaced by flooding. After moving in with her boyfriend, he pressured her to terminate the pregnancy and later denied paternity. In September 2023, he left for a job and never returned, leaving her without support. When she sought answers from his mother, she learned that the family had distanced themselves from him and would not accept the pregnancy either. Eventually, after her rent was due, she found refuge in an unfinished building.
1. When I returned from my antenatal appointment one day, I discovered that the owner of the unfinished building had installed a gate and locked it. At that moment, I approached the nurse (gesturing towards the midwife) to help me find someone who could take my baby, as I had no home or means to provide for her. She informed me that she had a contact willing to take the baby for N400,000. As soon as I gave birth, someone arrived, and the baby was handed over to them. I never saw the person’s face, but I asked the nurse to ensure that the individual would care for my child and not harm her.
“The nurse mentioned that the buyer was the wife of a pastor.
“From the N400,000, I managed to rent a place, settled some debts, and left N160,000 in the nurse’s account with plans to start a business. It was this same struggle that led me to send my three older children to their paternal grandmother in the village. Their father abandoned me for another woman after failing to pay my dowry.”
On her side, 31-year-old midwife Success Igwe stated that this was her first experience with the sale of a baby.
She explained that she facilitated the transfer for N450,000, keeping only N50,000 for delivery expenses and giving the remainder to Happiness.
When asked why the pregnant teenager was at her birthing facility, she replied, “Her sister brought her on Thursday, July 4, 2024, saying she should stay with me while she attended a convention.”
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