By VICTOR NWACHUKWU

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Imo says it has one Tochukwu Ogaranya, 52, alongside five pregnant women, aged between 25 and 33, in its custody for alleged child trafficking.

The command also said that it rescued five newborn babies from the suspects.

The NSCDC Commandant in Imo, Mr Basil Igwebueze, said this in Owerri, on Saturday, while briefing newsmen on the recent exploits by the command.

Igwebueze said that the suspects, including an alleged accomplice, one Godwin Nnamdi, 47, were caught at an orphanage, where they were carrying out their illicit activities.

According to him, on March 14, one of his officers saw a pregnant teenager running away from the orphanage at the World Bank area of Owerri, the Imo capital.

“This prompted my officers to move into action at the orphanage, arresting the owner of the orphanage and rescuing the pregnant women and new born babies,” he said.

Igwebueze described child trafficking as a “heinous crime” and appealed to Imo residents to ‘say something, when they see something’.

He also advised them to always take urgent steps to report suspicious persons and activities to security agencies for prompt action.

“If the residents of the state had not assisted us with the necessary information, the command would not have uncovered such a criminal act, he said.

The owner of the orphanage, Ogaranya, however, claimed that her orphanage was certified and not into child trafficking as alleged.

She recalled how one 33-year-old, identified simply as Chiamaka, came into the orphanage pregnant, having allegedly escaped from the man, who impregnated her in Abia.

She also said that she reached out to the Police, who promised to travel with Chiamaka to Abia to arrest the man.

She said that she was surprised when her workers called to inform her that Chiamaka scaled the fence of the compound and was later caught by the local vigilantes.

Chiamaka, who hails from Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state, said that she was introduced by someone she could hardly identify to the orphanage, where she could be delivered and sell the baby to the person.

She said that when she felt that she could no longer cope with the situation at the orphanage, she scaled the fence and ran away for her dear life.

Igwebueze said that the suspects would be arraigned for prosecution. (NAN)