An 18-year old girl, Miss Blessing John, was on Friday, arrested by the Police in Minna, Niger state capital, for selling her two weeks old baby girl to a 50-year-old woman, Mrs. Chikodili Jude for the sum of N20,000 to feed and clothe herself.The sale of the baby to the second suspect, who is also a widow, took place on Friday January 20, few hours after the former was delivered of the baby at the General Hospital, Minna by medical personnel.
Sunday Tribune learnt that no sooner than Blessing, who claimed to be an indigene of Kwale area of Delta state, was delivered of the yet unnamed baby girl, that she allegedly expressed the desire to do away with the child in view if the fact that she could no longer locate one Emmanuel Sunday of Mechanic bye-pass, Minna who impregnated her, after he ran away in an attempt not to claim the baby.
“Sunday and I met when I was working at Kwetere Gwari mechanic village as an attendant in a restaurant. He approached me to be his girlfriend and I accepted his proposal.
He later impregnated me after making love to me. When I told him that I was pregnant for him, he picked a quarrel with me over the pregnancy and thereafter, I did not see him again until I put to bed at the General Hospital, Minna on January 18 this year,” Blessing said in an interview with Sunday Tribune.
She added: “I gave out my baby to Mrs. Chikodili James to hold her for me and she in return gave me N20,000 for feeding and clothing because I did not have any money at hand to feed and take care of myself. I told her that whenever I am able to put the amount she gave me together, I would pay her back and take my baby to my state, and she agreed.”
When she was asked whether there was any written agreement between them to that effect, she answered in the affirmative, stating that the second suspect immediately brought out a document for her so that they could both append their signatures on the memorandum of agreement.
Blessing, who informed Sunday Tribune that she had been living in Minna since 2009, noted that the second suspect allegedly brought one paper for her to sign.
“I read the paper and I understood everything that was written there. I signed and said that if I had the money she gave me, I would pay her and collect my baby from her later.
“I did not finish my secondary school education as I stopped at Senior Secondary School III when I was supposed to sit for my SSCE Ordinary Level and that of the National Examinations Council but the school authorities said I had to pay some money as examinations fees which I did not have,” she stated.
It was further gathered that the sale of the baby was allegedly facilitated by one Mrs. Martha Obialor, a 65- year-old woman resident at 1010 area of Kwetere Gwari community of the state capital, who was also being detained by the police in connection with the case, while the memorandum of agreement was drafted at the law firm of “Freedom Chambers” at SW 264, Yoruba road, Minna metropolitan area by one Mike Ekemezie Esq.
The memorandum of agreement, a copy of which is in the possession of the Sunday Tribune, read thus: “This agreement is made this 20th day of January between Blessing John of Suleja, Niger state of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as DISCLAIMER, which expression shall, where the context so admits, include her heirs and successor-in title) on the first hand and Mrs. Chikodili Jude of Minna, Niger state of Nigeria, (hereinafter referred to as CLAIMANT which expression shall where the context so admits include her heirs and successor-in – title) on the second hand.”
Accordingly, the legal practitioner stated among other issues that the disclaimer had a female child at the General Hospital, Minna and decided to do away with the child and that the claimant agreed to take the child and also give the disclaimer a token of N20,000 to enable her (Blessing) to travel back to her station, adding that both parties now desire that their oral agreement be put in writing to be legally binding and enforceable to avoid any controversy in future.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State, Mr. Richard A. Oguche, confirmed the incident, stating that the first suspect, Miss Blessing John transferred the ownership of the two-week-old baby girl to the second suspect, Mrs. Chikodili Jude, in return for N20,000.
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