SARS Arrests 5 Workers Of Motherless Babies Home Over Missing Of 2 Months Old Baby Boy

                                                  

Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu Anambra state yesterday arrested five workers of Nnewi South Motherless babies home (Community Children’s home) Amichi for the disappearance of a two months old baby boy , Emmanuel Chidera Okeke-Nwaorah.

Officials of SARS on directives of the OC SARS, James Nwafor swooped on the home on a tip off over the alleged selling of little Emmanuel to unknown persons at a rate yet to be disclosed.

Head of Department of Social Welfare/ESD Nnewi-South , B.N Emelie Mrs was not arrested but Head of the home Ozo Eucharia Mrs and others were arrested and they are assisting police with investigation.

Troubled started for the home when a young girl walked into the home and took little Emmanuel away un harassed by workers and an alarm was raised by the Guardian of the baby when the came visiting. The alarm was reported to the police and the ministry.

Parents of the baby Mr and Mrs Julius Nworah were told that the baby was sick and in a hospital without a name in Nnewi. The parents moved from one hospital to the other before the bubble burst and they petitioned the ministry and the police leading to SARS intervention and arrest of suspects.

Confirming the report, the Commissioner for Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development , Lady Henrietta Agbata who spoke through the Director Child Development, Mr Emeka Ejide said the parents of the missing baby petitioned the ministry and admitted police arrested some workers of the Amichi motherless babies home (Community Children’s home). He said they are waiting for further directive from the commissioner to move and close the home.  

 It would be recalled that there was a clash in Onitsha when Government and security officials evacuating babies from Onitsha South Local Government Area Motherless Babies Home, (Children’s home), Anambra State were resisted from evacuating the babies by workers in the home on alleged orders of the council boss who was away  to Abuja.

Ministry officials led by Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Lady Henrietta Agbata raised the alarm that  out of 25 inmates reported to be in the home, only 12 were seen while 11 were missing and two were in school at Umunze Special School.

The home was later sealed up by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development after the evacuation.

The security officials and ministry workers evacuated the 12 babies sighted to the Onitsha Red Cross Motherless babies home (Children’s Home) and queried them on the whereabouts of the other babies.

Agbata represented by the Director Child Development, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development , Mr  Emeka Ejide said the home was allegedly engaging on child trafficking.

Sealing up the home, Ejide, said that the Commissioner,  Mrs. Henrietta Azuka Agbata, gave the directive to shut the home in view of the need to  help investigate the alleged trafficking and  child theft from the home.

He hinted that based on the allegation, the state commissioner of Police Mr. Gwari Usman paraded managers of the home recently at Awka, State capital, before newsmen.

He regretted that the home was being used outside the purpose for which it was meant for , adding that investigations revealed that the home was a child traffic point.

The Seal up, he said further was a temporary measure which may be reopened after police investigation and recalled  that recently a child got missed from the home.

He added further that the action of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development  was carried out in compliance with the child right law of Anambra State section 198.

State Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Red Cross Social, Dr Peter Emeka Katchy managers of the Red Cross Motherless Babies Home (Children’s home) expressed regret over the incessant cases of child trafficking and regretted the agony parents may have gone through when their children got missed.

Katchy reiterated the need for concerted efforts between the Government and General Public towards fighting the perpetrators. He hinted that the bringing in  a child into another family without proper identification could cause problem sequel to strange blood. 

His words: “there is no way you will bring somebody from Akwa Ibom State, to Anambra State to be with a different family, it causes problems”.