Niger parliament head to be quizzed for trafficking of babies born in Nigeria

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NIAMEY (AFP) – The head of parliament in Niger will be interrogated as part of a probe into international baby-trafficking, sources said on Wednesday.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hama Amadou is suspected of “complicity” in the trafficking of babies born in Nigeria and trafficked into Niger via Benin.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But Amadou, who is considered the leading challenger to President Mahamadou Issoufou ahead of elections in 2016, has denounced the charges as politically motivated and said it would involve a breach of his parliamentary immunity.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of Amadou’s wives is among the 17 people, including 12 women, already arrested in the case since June.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We think that for the honour and respectability of our institution, he must make himself available to the judicial authorities,” said Mohamed Ben Omar, a member of parliament’s political bureau, which authorised the investigation into Amadou.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We must not risk breaking the equality of citizens before the law. In the same case, Nigerians are languishing in prison for months,” he said.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“It is with a heavy heart that we have taken this difficult decision, but we consider that it’s our duty,” added Daouda Mallam Marthe, a vice-president of the National Assembly with the ruling Niger Party for Democracy and Progress (PNDS).</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- ‘Baby factories’ -</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The opposition has denounced the investigation as a breach of parliamentary rules, which do not allow “an office of the National Assembly to deliver a deputy to justice or to have him arrested,” said Tidjani Abdoulkadri, of the Democratic and Social Convention party.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hama Amadou is reportedly planning to appeal to the Constitutional Court to look into the legality of the order.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The alleged crime involves forging and altering birth certificates to switch the names of mothers.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Agriculture Minister Abdou Labo, a wife of Amadou, was arrested on Saturday.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The trafficking network is used primarily by couples who are unable to have children,” a source close to the case told AFP earlier this year.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Baby factories” — private clinics where young girls sell their newborns to couples who are unable to conceive — are regularly uncovered in Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cases in which mothers give up babies born from rape have been reported at such clinics, but young women facing unwanted pregnancies are more common, according to the Nigerian authorities.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The newborns are sold for several thousand euros — with boys fetching more than girls. The mothers receive around 150 euros ($200).</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The impoverished country of Niger has the highest birth rate in the world, an average of 7.6 children per woman.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In 2012, Niger police uncovered a fake orphanage where babies were sold on, some for use in black magic rituals.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/niger-parliament-head-quizzed-trafficking-babies-born-nigeria/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_strip_container NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> <br /></div>

Niger parliament head to be quizzed for trafficking of babies born in Nigeria

NIAMEY (AFP) – The head of parliament in Niger will be interrogated as part of a probe into international baby-trafficking, sources said o...

Read more »

General Overseer’s wife in baby factory scandal, flees to USA

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">By  Evelyn Usman<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Policemen attached to the Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi and those of  the Rivers State Police Command, are currently on the trail of a fleeing wife of the General Overseer of a popular Pentecostal Church (name withheld) in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, alleged to be operating the biggest baby factory in the southern part of the country.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The suspect identified  as Emeka Precious Chinyere, was alleged to have sold babies to desperate women between N 2.5 million and N6million. Her beneficiaries, we gathered,  come from all parts of the world.</span></div> <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_459863" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 20px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 422px;"> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/general-overseers-wife-baby-factory-scandal-flees-usa/emeka-precious-chinyere/" rel="attachment wp-att-459863" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: background-color 0.2s linear, border-top-color; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Emeka Precious Chinyere" class="size-full wp-image-459863" height="250" src="http://dvsl3w2q45hb8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Emeka-Precious-Chinyere.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.247059) 1px 1px 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: margin 0.2s linear, box-shadow;" width="412" /></span></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 8px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Emeka Precious Chinyere</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Her modus oparandi  as gathered, included giving  desperate women  concoction which would  make their stomachs to start protruding, until the day of delivery.  However, the delivery process  is said to  shrouded in mystery which the Police is trying to unravel.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was gathered that most of the beneficiaries were women who had waited for years without bearing children. The amount paid for each pregnancy as gathered, varied according to the age of the individual and the period of waiting.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This illicit business has reportedly  been going  at  God’ s Gift Clinic and Maternity home  located at number 16 School Road ,  Elelenmo area  of  Port Harcourt , Rivers State, for years until the bubble burst, following   a petition  to the Commissioner of Police in  charge of the Police Special Fraud Unit, by the United States of America Consulate, to investigate an America based- Nigerian woman  who applied for  American passport for her little baby.  The US-based Nigerian identified as Christiana Ogeyi Omagu, with Nigerian passport number  AO49173747 and US passport 458926040   , according to the US Consulate, appeared at the consulate in pursuance of a US passport for a male child  she claimed to have delivered at God’ s Gift Clinic and Maternity , Port Harcourt , Rivers State.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, when a  DNA paternity and maternity test was  conducted, the   result according to the  embassy, indicated that the applicant and her  husband,  Donald Omagu , were  not the biological parents  of the baby.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In spite of the result, the embassy said Mrs Omagu  insisted   that a certain doctor she identified as  Chinyere Precious, took her delivery at God’ s Gift Clinic and Maternity in Rivers State, hence, the  petition to ascertain her claim.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During preliminary investigation, the Police Special Fraud Unit  reportedly discovered that several embassies  had petitioned them  over similar cases, with the mention  of the General Overseer’s wife as the doctor that delivered them of their ‘miracle babies’</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It would be recalled that a similar instance was that of one  Esther Soyebo, who , two years ago, was arrested following a petition from the US embassy over same reason. During interrogation, the woman told journalists that she was introduced to Pastor Chinyere  by a friend in the  USA who claimed to have had her three children miraculously from her. The suspect also stated that she paid N2.5 million for the prepared concoction she took , after which her stomach began to bulge .  But efforts by operatives to locate the maternity home were futile as  the woman claimed not to know the exact location of the centre. She  claimed that she was taken there at night and that she left very early the next morning.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But a combined team of operatives from the Unit and those of the Rivers state Police command stormed  the maternity home recently where a near gun battle was reportedly averted, following resistance from  armed policemen from the Special Protecting Unit , who blocked access to her.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have never witness any child delivery- Nurse</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, a nurse identified as Peace Effiong  and a supposed expectant mother were arrested at the maternity home in Rivers state   and brought to SFU, Lagos.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In her statement to the Police, the arrested  nurse revealed that  no child had ever been delivered  in the maternity since she was employed.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">According to   her: “ I was employed just six months ago and I have never witnessed any child birth there. Anytime a pregnant women is due for delivery,  she is usually taken to Dr Chinyere’s  home at Harvest Assembly Avenue, Stallion Road,  Elelenwo. That is all I can say “</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I paid N2.5 million for pregnancy and delivery</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">On the part of the America- based Nigerian suspect, she disclosed in her statement that she paid N 2.5 million to the  fleeing doctor  before she got pregnant..</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She explained  that she came to Nigeria in February last year , after she was introduced to Dr Chinyere. “ One month later, the doctor said I  was pregnant and  I went back to my  base in the USA , with the hope of delivering the baby in one of the hospitals over there.  But several  medical tests  carried out in the United  States indicated that I  was not pregnant and I began to doubt. Dr Chinyere who visited America at that time, assured  I was pregnant and advised me to come  down to Nigeria to deliver the baby . By   February this year, she called and informed me  to come down to Nigeria ,  that I was due. I  was delivered of a baby boy on February 16, 2014, at the maternity home”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But the result of the DNA test by the embassy showed that neither she nor her husband were biological parents of the supposed baby.  Asked if the delivery was a normal one  or through caesarian  , the suspect kept mute.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another paid 2.9million</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another pregnant woman , Victoria  Acholonu , who was arrested at the maternity home, told operatives that “ I paid N2.9 for the pregnancy. Dr. Chinyere called me on the phone to inform that my delivery was due . That was why I came to her hospital , only to be arrested. Again, when a text was conducted to ascertain her true state, the result  showed that  she was not pregnant, even with the evident bulging stomach.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sounding frustrated, Acholonu disclosed that she was not the only one that had fallen a victim. “ I know  some people who said they paid more that N2.5million. Some claimed to have even  paid</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">N6 m , depending on their condition.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Information  at the operatives  disposal  indicated that the  wife of the general overseer had fled to the United States of America.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Police sources hinted that several attempts to arrest her proved abortive as some eminent Nigerians in key positions always intervened.  Police sources said :  “ the woman is very powerful , that is why she has managed to beat police arrest. She has been very evasive to the police at PSFU despite the numerous evidences against her.  She was once arrested by the Police at Elelenwo divisional police station , after one of her victims’ husband became suspicious and invited the police , who invaded her home at the point of delivery but she escaped justice after an unidentified ‘ powerful man  from ‘ above intervened “</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State , Mr.  Tunde Ogunsakin has assured his command  would  ensure the suspect is arrested.   As first step, he said  the command would  ascertain if the woman was a medical doctor.</span></div> <div class="OUTBRAIN" data-browser="safari" data-dynload="" data-ob-mark="true" data-os="ipad" data-src="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/general-overseers-wife-baby-factory-scandal-flees-usa/" id="outbrain_widget_0" obdone="true" style="border: 0px; clear: both; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="ob_brnBox_cont NA" style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="ob_empty" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></wbr></span><span class="ob_org_header" style="border: 0px; float: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div> </div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/general-overseers-wife-baby-factory-scandal-flees-usa/#sthash.3xb2OFMu.dpuf</span></div>

General Overseer’s wife in baby factory scandal, flees to USA

By  Evelyn Usman Policemen attached to the Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi and those of  the Rivers State Police Command, are current...

Read more »