Uncle sells teenage orphan’s one-week-old baby for N300,000
• Baby’s mother shot, pushed into pit to die
For 16-year-old Chidinma Anyanwu, sorrow seems to have become permanent companion. She is not only an orphan, who lost her parents at a tender age, which resulted in her not finishing secondary school education due to financial constraints, but now has to also contend with her uncle, who did not only allegedly sold her week-old baby for N300,000.00 but shot her thrice and pushed her into a pit to die.
However, Chidinma survived the ordeal and is now receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Mbaise, Imo State, where the incident took place.
Consequently, the Imo State Police Command has arrested Chidinma’s 50-year-old uncle, Emmanuel Anyanwu, for allegedly selling the baby and attempted murder.
A close family source of the mother disclosed that the incident happened in Eziudo community in Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government area of Imo State, while the victim hails from Umuele Agwa Onicha, in the same community.
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It was learnt that the victim was living with the suspect and her stepmother, when she got impregnated. Upon delivering the baby, her uncle, Anyanwu, allegedly sold the baby for N300,000.
When Chidinma’s baby suddenly got missing, she asked her uncle about the baby’s whereabouts, but rather than produce the baby, he took the mother to the village, where he shot her three times on the chest and pushed her inside a pit to die.
Our source added that some parts of Chidinma’s chest bones were affected by the gunshots and she miraculously survived. So far, she has undergone the first surgery and some pellets removed, remaining about 15 more in her body. She is currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Eziudo community.
Foundation for the Hopeless, a non governmental organisation has come the aid of the victim through Genius Eye Foundation International. The group visited her where she is receiving treatment and vowed to ensure that justice is done.
According to the group, some assistance had been provided to cater for the victim, pending when she would be transferred to a specialist hospital for proper medical treatment, while the suspect is currently being held by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).
Meanwhile, the Genius Eye Foundation has called on the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, to ensure that justice is done on the matter. The fiunder, Paulcy Iweala expressed fear that the victim might not get justice, if the CP did not handle the matter personally. He alleged that the suspect was using his wife, who is a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to suppress the matter.
One of those that have extended a helping hand to the victim, Mr. Arthur Ugochukwu, personal Assistant to the immediate past Senator, representing Owerri Zone, Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu, also called on Nigerians to rise up for the matter, as it is about to be swept under the carpet.
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In a post on his Facebook page, Arthur Ugochukwu noted: “Urgent attention to the women and the feminists. Now, where are the women? Time has come again; your resolve has yet been tested to yet another limit by one man, who is not worthy to be called a man. Although the man is cooling his heels in police custody, but everybody has to speak up now so that they don’t sweep the case under the carpet. She did not do anything different from what Linda Ikeji did, nor T-boss or many other ladies, who fell pregnant, and you went to dedicate the child before the Almighty God. Her case is even different and she may even be forgiven because she is a minor and can easily fall prey, judging from her poor background. My point is this, don’t come and despise her now. She needs all you women now, especially the feminists. She fell pregnant at 16, decided to keep the baby. Delivered the baby but her uncle, who is possessed by the spirit of poverty, stole the baby from her and sold the baby for N300,000’ When the girl asked after her baby, the man cunningly took her to the village, shot her with a locally made gun three times, pushed her into a ditch and left to die. She survived miraculously.”
When contacted on his cell phone, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Ikeoku Godson Orlando, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed the story. However, he dismissed the allegation of attempt to cover up the issue, saying it was baseless.
He said: “The story is true. We have concluded our investigation and we are making effort to recover the baby before charging the suspect to court. We don’t want a situation where after we charge him to court, other accomplices will run away. We want to do it intelligently.
“The allegation that a personnel of NSCDC is trying to influence the matter is baseless. Who is a personnel of NSCDC to suppress the effort of a Commissioner of Police? Even I, as a Superintendent, cannot be influenced like that. Tell whoever that is making the allegation that he is not serious. As for the shooting, that one is a prima facie. The suspect is still in our custody,” he said.
