“They Sold Our Grandchild”: Ebonyi Family Alleges Police Trafficked Baby for ₦25 Million, Paid Mother ₦700,000 to Disappear
In a heart-wrenching tale of alleged corruption and institutional betrayal, a family in Ebonyi State has accused senior police officers of selling their grandchild for a staggering ₦25 million under the guise of adoption, while coercing the baby’s mother into silence with a ₦700,000 hush payment.
The explosive accusation was made by the family of Nwanneka Nweze, a young mother from Umuobuna Etiti Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area, who they claim was abducted while heavily pregnant, held incommunicado in a police clinic, and forced to give birth in secret—only for the newborn to be stolen and trafficked.
Speaking through Nwanneka’s elder brother, Mr. Philip Obasi Nweze, the family alleged that top-ranking officers of the Nigeria Police Force conspired with officials from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs to suppress the truth and prevent the baby’s return.
“Our sister didn’t give up her baby willingly,” said Mr. Nweze. “She was abducted, hidden for over three months, and denied access to her family. After delivery, the baby was taken away, and she was given ₦700,000 and told to vanish.”
He continued: “They told her to go far away from Abakaliki so we wouldn’t find her. But we did. Now they’re claiming she gave up the child for adoption—how does that make sense when she was held like a prisoner the whole time?”
On July 1, the family formally petitioned the authorities, accusing four security operatives—led by SP Loveth Uche, head of the Juvenile and Women Centre (JWC), Ebonyi State Police Command—of criminal conspiracy, abduction, trafficking, unlawful detention, and obstruction of justice.
They claimed that Uche and two subordinate Inspectors facilitated the sale of the baby, with the NSCDC initially handling the case before passing it to NAPTIP due to jurisdiction. Yet, the family fears that the truth is being buried by a well-connected syndicate working across government departments.
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Felicia Nwankpuma, has denied any wrongdoing. “The child is with us,” she said, while strongly rejecting the claim that ₦25 million was exchanged. “There was no baby sold,” she insisted.
Similarly, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Ikeuwa Omebeh, attempted to downplay the allegations. “The mother voluntarily gave up the child for adoption because she claimed she was financially and emotionally unfit,” he said. However, he failed to clarify how the ministry came into possession of the baby despite earlier denying any knowledge of its whereabouts.
Mr. Nweze responded with scorn: “When did government begin handing out ₦700,000 to women giving up babies for adoption? That money was a bribe—to silence her and protect those who trafficked the child. If the baby is in government custody, why hasn’t the family been informed or involved?”
With growing public outrage, the family is demanding that the baby be returned immediately, and all implicated officials be prosecuted.
“NAPTIP, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the police have all been dancing around the truth. We want our grandchild back. We will not rest until this child is returned and justice is served,” Mr. Nweze said.
He further lamented the lack of response from the Ministry, saying he had written several petitions and copied the Commissioner for Women Affairs but received no invitation or reply.
“This isn’t just about Nwanneka. It’s about the rot in our system. If they can do this to us, they can do it to any poor, voiceless family. We will not be silenced,” he said.
As the scandal unfolds, questions continue to swirl around the real whereabouts of the child, the circumstances of the ₦700,000 payment, and the possible existence of a baby trafficking ring operating under the guise of government-sanctioned adoptions. Nigerians—and the world—watch and wait, hoping the cries of a grieving family won’t be lost in the halls of power.
PIONEER NEWS 