OPERATIVES of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Enugu State, yesterday, raided a clinic where babies from unwanted pregnancies are sold. Proprietor of the clinic, Dr Ben Agbo, and a nurse working with him, have been arrested while a three-day old baby about to be delivered to a buyer was recovered from them.
The illegal baby home identified as ‘Moonlight Maternity home’ is located at Agbani Road by Abagana street in Coal Camp area of Enugu capital city. The 74-year old proprietor of the clinic said he had been operating the clinic since the past nine years admitting that he had been selling babies to those in need under a humanitarian service of the clinic.
The State NSCDC Commander, Nathaniel Ubong, while parading the suspects, said they were arrested following a tedious surveillance mounted by his men around the maternity home after a tip off by a patriotic citizen on the illicit activities going on at the maternity home.
He explained that they were disturbed because the said ‘Moonlight maternity home’ was not on the list of hospitals submitted to his unit by Ministry of Gender Affairs as those accredited for child fostering in the state. He said his men recovered some vital documents relating to past sales of babies by the clinic under the guise of child fostering which the doctor had no authority to conduct.
Speaking with newsmen, Dr Agbo said though he was not accredited to conduct child fostering, he was using his clinic to render humanitarian services to couples,who were finding it hard to produce their own babies after many years of marriage.
Asked to explain the whereabouts of the mother of the baby found in the home, he said she went away to seek for assistance and was yet to return
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