Again! 5 pregnant women in Akwa Ibom state arrested for involvement in baby factory

Seven expectant mothers held
• Two held for ‘certificate forgery’
The police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested five people for their alleged
involvement in a baby factory. Seven expectant mothers are being held.

Commissioner of Police Umar Gwadabe said the baby factory was located at
19, Nepa Line, Ikot Ekpene.
He said: “The discovery came following a tip-off that two women, Ima Akpan
(35) and Mma Nurse, now at large, were operating a baby factory where seven
expectant mothers were camped.
“The expectant mothers were arrested, and on interrogation, two of them–
Ikwo Ofuo and Joy John– confessed that they were enticed to the business
because of money.
“On delivery, a male child will be sold for N400,000. A female child costs
N350,000.”
One of the teenage expectant mothers said she was impregnated by an
unknown man.
She said: “I don’t know who impregnated me. I was impregnated while hawking
to assist my mother.”
The police commissioner said two suspects who allegedly specialise in forging
academic certificates were arrested.
Gwadabe said Ubong Udoh and Thompson Edet were arrested by detectives
from Ikot Ekpene with degrees, Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates
and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) exemption certificates.
The police boss said the certificates recovered from the suspects bear
different names.
He listed them as a degree certificate of Imo State University; five HND
certificates of Akwa Ibom Polytechnic, Ikot; an NYSC exemption certificate,
two official transcripts from Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic and two from
Calabar Polytechnic.
Udoh said his late father sold forged certificates, and he continued after his
death.
He said: “I was working in one of the construction companies. My late father
has been doing this business. I continued with the business after his death. He
died last October.”