New Born Baby Sold For N200k In Katsina Found In Imo State (Photo)

A baby boy delivered by 18-year-old Aisha Lawal who is knwon to hang around a Katsina brothel, has become the center of controversy in a case of alleged abduction and subsequent selling of the baby to one Grace Ohuhu for N200,000.

Apart from Aisha and Grace who have been arrested by the police over the incident, three others namely; Ogugua Okoh, a 43-year-old senior nurse with the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Katsina; her friend Joy Ihenamere, and one Hauwa’u Ibrahim, believed to be Aisha’s god mother who is camping her at the brothel, are also being detained by the police over the case.

Daily Trust gathered that sometime in January, Aisha was delivered of a baby boy at the Federal Medical Center Katsina where she was told she had a stillbirth and that the baby had been buried.

She hurriedly packed her things and left the hospital without settling her outstanding bills.

Trouble however started when a fracas ensued between Aisha and her god mother, Hauwa’u which led to the intervention of police officers. Little did they know that a can of worms was about to be opened. Hauwa’u had accused Aisha of doing the unthinkable by selling a child she had out of wedlock. The accusation led the policemen to probe further. 

According to the state Commissioner of Police Abdullahi Usman, Aisha was impregnated by someone she doesn’t know and after delivery, connived with her friend, Hauwa’u and a nurse, Ogugua Okoh, who linked them up to one Joy, to sell the baby for N200,000 to Grace Ohuhu.

“We traced Mrs Grace Ohuhu to far away Imo State where she was apprehended and the baby recovered,” the commissioner said.

Narrating her ordeal, Aisha who admitted she conceived the child out of wedlock, said she was assisted by Nurse Okoh to deliver the baby at the FMC. “They told me that the child had died when I demanded for it,” she said.

For Hauwa’u, Aisha was brought to her by someone she could not recollect anymore. She said the nurse helped with the delivery of the baby but that Aisha had been complaining and contemplating what to do with the baby. She alleged that Aisha had planned to dispose of the baby in the refuse bin.

However, Nurse Okoh said the duo approached her when Aisha was seven months pregnant for an abortion which she out rightly declined. She pleaded with them to have a rethink as she couldn’t take part in the killing of an innocent baby.

“I never knew she was a prostitute; they live in our neighbourhood and it was Hauwa’u that came along with Aisha on what they were planning. She asked me to help out because Aisha was about getting married and her parents don’t know of her condition,” she said.

“After delivery, they couldn’t come up with money to settle the bill. It was later arranged with nurses on duty that she (Aisha) could abscond and be recorded as those who usually run away after delivery.”

“When we were returning home, I heard them discussing in the tricycle of how to dump the baby in a carton for dogs to feed on or dump it in the refuse bin,” she added.

She said it was at this point that “I pleaded with them to let me take care of the child because there’s a woman (Joy) who had always asked me to help get a kid for her sister to adopt.”

Okoh said Grace, after she was told of the situation, sent the first N50, 000 to Aisha to help in buying clothes and for proper up keep of the child. She denied buying the baby, noting, “I took care of the baby for over one month.”

On her part, Grace Ohuhu who had been married for 18 years without a child, said what they were sending to the nurse was for the up keep and not payment for the child.

“I actually contacted Joy to help out and after I was told of the baby, they kept asking for more money for the up keep and I later sent N150, 000,” said Ohuhu.

The baby, who had been named Victor, has been recovered, while the state commissioner of police said investigation is still ongoing on the matter.