23-year-old mother jailed for selling her day-old baby in Uyo

A young mother by name, Esther Ita Udoakang has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by a court foger alledly selling her day-old baby. This was made public in a statement issued by Nneka Aniagoh, Head, Press and Public Relations of NAPTIP.

The statement read:

“The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured another conviction as 23-year-old Esther Ita Udoakang gets sentenced to two years imprisonment for child trafficking’.

The suspect pleaded guilty to a one count charge of selling a day-old baby to one Princess Tonymass, who is still at large; an act which is contrary to Section 21 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.

Delivering the judgment at the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the presiding Judge, Justice M. I. Sanni frowned against such an act and subsequently sentenced her to 2 years imprisonment with an option of a fine to the tune of N400,000.00 (four hundred thousand naira, only).

Reacting to the Judgment, the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli commended the investigators and prosecutors for a job well-done. She further lauded the judiciary for prompt judgment delivery and reiterated her resolve to fight child trafficking to the letter.”

This coming after a grandma and her daughter have been arrested after they sold a new born baby for N250,000.

The woman identified as Patience, 39 years and her daughter, Blessing Emmanuel, 22 years were reported to have sold the baby to one Ijeoma Okechukwu at Jakande Estate, Oshodi, Lagos. According to Punchng, the baby was taken from Blessing by Patience, on the day he was born and handed over to the buyer, who was their former neighbor.

Blessing then told residents that her baby was dead, but later opened up to a church member, Comfort Ogwuebu, who helped her family with accommodation, that her child was with Okechukwu..

Ogwuebu reportedly alerted policemen from the Zone 2 Police Command, who arrested the suspect and recovered the child. Blessing revealed that she had earlier had a child for her boyfriend, Valentine, who got her pregnant the second time.