Police in Imo State at the weekend handed over the 23 teenage girls rescued from a baby factory in Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area to the state Ministry of Social Welfare.
The pregnant girls, who were held at the state police command for two days before they were handed over to the government, were rescued from Ahamefula Motherless Babies’ Home, allegedly owned by a middle-aged woman simply identified as “Madam One Thousand,” who is still on the run.
However, the 23-yearold boy, Chukwubuka Onyemefule alias Oyibo, accused of impregnating the girls, the gateman and Mrs Chioma Ezemaka are still being held in the police custody.
A police source said “they will remain in the custody until the investigation is concluded”.
Although Onyemefule from Umuaka in Njaba Local Government and Mrs. Chioma Ezemaka from Onuibo Local Government Area of Anambra State told our correspondent that he was only employed in the sachet water factory and that he was not responsible for impregnating the girls, police maintained yesterday that he would be in detention until investigation was concluded.
The police source said since the girls’ conditions required serious medical attention, it would be proper to hand them over to the ministry for proper care until their relations come for them.
Speaking in a telephone interview yesterday, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Child Development, Mrs. Ana Dozie, who confirmed that the pregnant teenagers had been handed over to her ministry, denied any knowledge of illegal child adoption going on in the ministry or any other place.
According to her, child adoption in the ministry is strictly procedural.
She said: “I don’t move about the state to know who is adopting children illegally but in my ministry we follow laid down procedures in child adoption. But if anyone is doing anything behind my back that I do not know.”
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