The Update the 16pregnant Teenage Girls in Owerri
Baby making factory
Indigenes of Arondizuogu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State are still hiding their faces in shame, two weeks after one of their brothers, James Ezuma, was apprehended by the police for gunrunning, child trafficking and rituals. Ezuma, 57, had claimed to be a medical doctor.
A recent investigation into child trafficking had led the police to Ezuma’s residence, which doubled as an office for ‘Ezuma Women and Children Right Initiative’, a purportedly registered nongovernmental organisation. During a search conducted in the premises by the police,16 pregnant girls between the ages of 14 and 19 were found.
The ‘NGO,’ which was in a fenced compound surrounded by bushes and uncompleted buildings, turned out to be a suspected baby factory. The teenage girls said they were encouraged to get pregnant and take home the sum of N100, 000 at delivery, on the condition that they would abandon their babies who are eventually used for purposes ranging from child trafficking to rituals.
The girls tell their stories
One of the girls, Chinaza Nnachi, 19, said she had come to the ‘NGO’ because of her baby.
Speaking in impeccable English, Nnachi said, “I got pregnant and the guy responsible denied it. Someone directed me to come here that they would take care of me and the baby.
“When I got here, the doctor (Dr. Ezuma) said the baby would be taken care of. I eventually gave birth to a bouncing baby girl at Ezuma Private Hospital.
“The baby was taken away from me and I got to know through one of the staff here that it was sold. Ezuma later came and gave me N100, 000 and without any explanation.”
She noted, “I didn’t agree that the baby should be sold out. I am crying because the baby was sold out without my consent. When I got pregnant, I came here to stay so that when I eventually deliver, the baby could be showered with care.
“It all started because I was pregnant and stranded, so one aunty directed me to this place. She said she would take care of us till we deliver.
“She said if I delivered the baby, I would balance her. But she did not tell me how much and now I am seeing the opposite and the disappearance of my baby is already making me die slowly.”
She added, “I was not comfortable with the whole drama and that was why I used one of the staff to reach out to the police.”
The story is not so different with Blessing Ubbah. She said, “I was two months pregnant when I came here. I met one aunty who said I would carry the baby and balance her some money when I eventually deliver.”
She said, “We were about eight persons and kept in one room at the Ezuma hospital or NGO.
“If the police hadn’t waded in before I delivered, I guess my case would have gone the way of Chinaza (Nnachi).”
The pregnant girls hail from different states and are Chinaza Nnachi (Ebonyi State) – 19 years old; Rita Nnanna (Anambra State) – 25 years old; Blessing Ubbah (Lagos State) – 20 years old; Joy Brown (Imo State) – 19 years old; Precious Anyajike (Lagos State) – 18 years; and Kelechi Wenwu (Imo State) – 17 years old.
They also include Chidinma Okoro (Enugu) – 19; Ihenkanma Onwubiko (Imo) – 21; Chinyere Ibenime (Imo) – 20; Nkiru Alozie (Abia) – 16; and Peace Effiong (Rivers) – 24.
The others are Victoria Udoh (Akwa Ibom) – 16; Ngozi Ike (Rivers) – 20; Chika Eze (Abia) – 18; Jecila Nwonke (Abia) – 19; and Chinaza Samson (Abia) – 14.
Aside Nnachi, the police said that Ubbah also gave birth to a baby boy on December 2, 2013 at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri. “Both mother and boy are still healthy and under care at the hospital,” said the Imo CP.
Our correspondent gathered that 10 cars were found at the premises of the NGO. The cars are of different make. Two of the cars are not registered, while the rest carry Abuja and Lagos registered plate numbers.
The cars are Jaguar (Green) – PD 787 IKJ; Lincoln Navigator (Red) – DN 494 ABC; Jaguar (Ash) – BT 292 GWA; Chrysler 300 (White) – RBC 335 AS; and Chrysler (Red) – BH 168 GWA.
The rest are Chrysler (White) – JZ 608 ABC; Lincoln (Black) – EU 917 LND; and Honda SUV (Ash) – EZ 388 ABJ.
The Nissan Quest (Ash) and Nissan Pathfinder Jeep (Blue) were not registered.
The police had acted on a tip-off that Nnachi had given birth to a baby girl at Ezuma’s residence on November 24, 2013, two days before his arrest.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that Ezuma, had earlier been arraigned before an Owerri Magistrate Court – I on November 1, 2013 for the offence of conspiracy and unlawful possession of firearms.
Ezuma’s story
Meanwhile, Ezuma insisted that he was innocent when brought out briefly from detention to speak with our correspondent.
He said, “I am the managing director of this hospital. It is just coming as a hospital. I graduated from the University of Jos. My medical license number is 30911.”
The alleged baby factory owner explained that his hospital only admits pregnant women, saying that in the case of Nnachi, she was brought in when she was one month pregnant.
On the missing Nnachi’s baby, he said, “The baby is at Ozoemena Street, Onitsha. The social welfare officer tool the baby from us in Aba and handed it to the foster parents since Nnachi had earlier declared that she wouldn’t have the capacity to take care of the baby.”
He said, “The baby was adopted and we have traced the foster parents to Onitsha. But the social welfare people would have to be the ones to retrieve the baby.”
Ezuma, however, noted that the 16 girls who were in his custody were the first batch of girls since he opened the hospital.
On the cars found at the premises of his ‘NGO’ or ‘hospital,’ he said, “I only use those cars for car hire services and nothing more.”
But the commissioner of police said Ezuma’s claims were untrue. He said, “The purported owner (Ezuma) has not been able to provide proof of ownership.”
Source:Punch
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