By Uju Mbanusi

The recently paraded child trafficking syndicate at the Lagos state police command, Ikeja, were arraigned at the Apapa Family court on Thursday, May 30th 2013. Three of the defendants, Benedette Ogbonna, Chibueze Mba, and Adaeze Mba who were alleged to be directly involved in the stealing and selling of the children pleaded not guilty to the eight -count charge brought against them while the fourth defendant, Patricia Anibogu, the 61 year- old who allegedly bought one of the children from Benedette Ogbogu, also pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge brought against her.

A  relation to the Amechis’ whose children were stolen by the syndicate last September in Imo state, identified as Chief Lazarus Akonobi from Isi- Ama, Awo-Idemmili  narrated how the incident happened  to Crime Alert.   “The suspects involved in this case stole two of my relative’s children from my brother’s house in our village, Awo-Idemmili-Osu local government, Imo State, in September 2012.

They applied the same style they used in stealing the four year old boy in Lagos. They rented a room in our compound in Awo-Idemmili and after about three months, they stole the children and disappeared when nobody was around. Since then, we have been searching for them.

The 23 year- old suspect identified as Adaeze Mba, is known as Adaobi Ojinnaka, from Mbosi, Ihiala local government area,  Anambra state;  the real name of the male suspect is Anyaehie Mba.  Chibueze Mba he gave here is his brother’s name whom he deformed and as a result, the brother is  currently mentally unbalanced after which Anyaehie started using his name for his evil acts.

When they came to rent a room at our family compound, the lady gave us Florence as her name; she also said she is from Nnewi, while investigation revealed that she is from Mbosi. We also found out along the line that Adaobi’s father was allegedly involved in a kidnap case in the past.

From what we gathered, Adaobi has been in this business for a long time, she used it to develop her father’s house, this is evident in the high fenced building she put up in her father’s house, with alumaco glass decorations all round.   In the past four months we have been looking for them until we got the news that they have been caught by the Ajangbandi police.

That was when I took their pictures to the police and lodged the complain.   They immediately swung into action and went as far as to Obosi in Anambra state where the buyers of the children were and they were arrested. I must confess here that the police and the Human Right section of the Illemba Hausa Division of Ajangbandi police station really did a wonderful job; they went as far as tracking their mobile phone numbers from the telecommunications companies.

They amazed me, if they continue to work this way, there will be a drastic decline in criminal activities; and the manner in which the chief suspect by the name Bernadette was apprehended was commendable.”

Younger sister to one of the defendants Patricia Anibuogu, identified as Oby Obodoefuna narrated her sister’s ordeal to Crime Guard.   According to her, Patricia Anibogu had been married for 28 years but has no child; this resulted in her husband (now late) getting married to another woman who bore him children.

When Patricia could not bear the maltreatment given to her in her husband’s home, she packed out and returned to her father’s house where she was selling food, meat and drink to survive. In February after the burial of our mother, I returned to my base, my sister called me and told me that she just had a baby, I asked her why she did not mention it to me, so that I can stay back and help her with the post-natal care; she said actually, that she adopted a four- year- old boy from one of the orphanage homes in Onitsha.

When I asked her if she was sure of their authenticity, she said the woman who helped her adopt the boy assured her that there will be no problem; also that she will bring her the adoption papers later. That she had even enrolled him in one of the catholic schools in Onitsha. When I went back sometimes in March, I saw the boy.

The next thing she saw was the police coming to arrest her. That was how she found herself here.  I went with her pictures from one police station to the other, in search of her until I got the information that she is at Ajangbandi police station.

It was later that she was told that if she had gone through the right processes of adopting a child, she would not have spent the N600,000 she gave to Bernadette. She is a victim, her childless situation exposed her to it.   All she wanted was a child she could call her own. I believe that God will see us through in this case.”

Counsel to the defendant,  barrister Ada Amogu, told Crime Guard “We appreciate the fact that ignorance of the law is not an excuse.  Howbeit, I made it known to the court that it was out of ignorance that she got entangled in this web. She adopted a child from an unauthorized home; it is not that she was responsible for the stealing or the adoption.

She went to a home, where she assumed people can go and adopt children, but then unknown to her, it was not legalized. I made this known to the magistrate in my application. However, as a woman and also as a member of the international federation of women lawyers, I must say this is an eye opener for ignorant women who just go to anywhere and pick a child all in the name of adoption.

I advise them, to investigate, go through the right channels, there are social welfare departments in states, and they can go there to make inquiries, know the procedures; also come to the court with the orphanage managements  so that everything will be binding. In this way, you will not encounter problems. It is not wrong for somebody to adopt a child, unless like in this case, it is done in an illegal manner.”

Crime Guard also gathered that even in custody, the chief suspect, Benedette Ogbonna, tried to con other suspects of some amount of money. The mother of four children, who said she is married to a retired military officer was heard telling the other suspects that she could arrange a reliable lawyer for them, who will get them out of this case in good time, if they can pay her the sum of N150, 000 each, to enable her settle the said lawyer.