Confusion in Enugu Gender Ministry over sale of a baby girl for N1.5 Million

www.odogwublog.com reports exclusively that a 28 years old single mother , Ijeoma Innocent Eziekwe from Enugu-Ukwu, Njikoka local government area of Anambra state yesterday raised the alarm that the Ministry of Gender Affairs in Enugu state in connivance with the Medical Director of Gift Hospital, Trans Ekulu , ESUT Avenue Enugu sold off her 4 months baby for N1.5 Million.
Miss Innocent-Eziekwe said her child was sold without her conscience and therefore petitioned Governor  Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi , Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Calistus Valentine Onaga and the Chairman Enugu state Adoption Committee who is also the Archbishop fo Enugu Anglican Communion , Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma to come to her rescue by impressing it on the Enugu state Gender Ministry to release her baby to her.
Crying before newsmen in Awka yesterday over her predicament, Ijeoma said only the intervention of these men of God and the Governor could guarantee her access to her baby even as she appealed to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP)to intervene also to let her have her baby as according to her she reached an agreement with the Ministry of Gender Affairs Enugu state that she wants her baby before putting to bed.
She said she was shocked when she was denied access to her baby shortly after delivery and was given a bill of N303,000, according to the medical doctor she had a placenta problem and could only deliver through Cesarean . She felt it was because of her debt that she was denied access to her baby and left to look for money, but could not believe her ears when she returned to make some payments only to discover her baby has been sold off.
Ijeoma , a school dropout and Bread factory worker accused Dr Onu of Gift hospital, Enugu ,new  Director of Gender Affairs of Enugu Ministry of Gender Affairs, Mr Romanus Obai  and former Director Mrs Stella Mmamel of selling her baby to an Engineer in Nsukka for N1.5 Million against her wish to keep her baby.
‘’ I have been having sleepless night mares since I was forced to part with my baby. I want my baby back and I am pleading with Governor Ugwuanyi, Archbishop Chukwuma and Bishop Onaga of catholic diocese of Enugu to interven and return my baby for me. The NAPTIP too would be of good help because they have sold my baby. I did not ask them to sell my baby because I needed my baby, children are gifts from God ………………….’’

But when contacted , the Medical Director of  Gift Hospital, Dr Onu and Director Enugu  state Ministry of gender Affairs, Romanus Obai kept mum over the issue but the former Director of the Ministry of Gender Affairs, Mrs  Stella Mmamel admitted knowing Ijeoma and her baby as she was the one who Ijeoma met and reached agreement that she does not want her baby offered for adoption.
Mmamel expressed shock that the baby girl as the doctor told her after Ijeoma’s delivery was sold out insisting that she has nothing to do with the baby sell saga as she officially handed over the girl and her mother to Romanus Obai, the new Director of Gender Affairs in Enugu. She insisted that Ijeoma’s right that she does not want the child offered for adoption should have been respected.  
The Chairman Enugu state Adoption committee, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma could not be reached for his comments as at press time as all efforts to speak with him proved abortive.
But the Nigerain Police confirmed the sale of the baby and the investigations into it but denied further comments.

According to the PPRO of the Anambra state command, DSP Okechukwu Ali, he would get more facts from the officer investigating the case DSP Nora and give a detailed information on the investigation. The officer investigating the case declined further comment as she is not authorized to speak to the media.

Photo of the Mother of the sold girl