The other defendants include an auxiliary nurse, Margaret Obinwa, 49; a pastor who has been childless for 28 years, Rev. Simon Dike, 69, and Chibuzor Ogbonna, 50, who allegedly impregnated the woman. All the defendants are resident in Ikorodu, a Lagos suburb.
The matter first came up on Wednesday, but Magistrate S.O. Solebo adjourned it till yesterday to allow the prosecution produce the exhibit (the baby) in court.
Uzochukwa is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy to traffic her baby and sale of a new born baby; Ogbonna was charged with impregnating and abandoning Uzochukwa. The nurse was arraigned on a one-count charge of buying the baby.
Dike was charged on a two-count charge of human trafficking and aiding the commission of the offence.
Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Henry Obiazi told the court that the offence was committed on January 4, at De-Ifes Medical Centre, Odogunyan, Ikorodu.
He alleged that Uzochukwa, who was impregnated and abandoned by Ogbonna ran to Obinwa for assistance to abort the pregnancy.
Obiazi said: “The lady went to the nurse for assistance to abort her pregnancy since she did not have money to cater for herself and the then unborn baby. But the nurse, Obinwa, urged her not to commit abortion and encouraged her to rather have the baby and sell it off to those in need of a child.
“So, having agreed to the nurse’s advice, the first defendant was introduced to Dike, who claimed he was a reverend father and had been married for 28 years without a child. Then, the lady, having met the pastor, was made to sign an undertaking that she would never come back for the baby and she was paid N60, 000, which she agreed to.”
Obiazi added: “As luck would have it, the first defendant got married to one Kingsley who got wind of the entire deal and had to report the matter to men of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) in the area. So, the OPC involved the police for further investigation and that was how the defendants were arrested.”
He added that the offences contravened Sections 409,274,408 and 277 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011. The defendants pleaded not guilty.
Magistrate Solebo granted Uzochukwa and Dike N100,000 bail each with a surety in the like sum.
She granted Obinwa and Ogbonna N200,000 bail each with two sureties in the like sum.
The Magistrate ordered that the baby should be taken to the Lagos State Motherless Baby’s Home, Victoria Island, adding that the centre’s matron should allow the biological mother to see the child.
The matter was adjourned till March 13 for trial.
