The Enugu State Magistrate Court has remanded a medical doctor, Dr Benedict Akpudachie, of the Moonlight Medical Clinic, Enugu, in a custodial centre for buying and selling one-day old baby for N1m.
Also remanded in the centre were the mother of the baby, a 19-year-old Uchechi Joseph; her lover, Abubakar Idris; and the buyer, Onah Hyacinth.
The Enugu State Police Command had arraigned the accused before the Enugu North Magisterial District on six counts bordering on conspiracy and child trafficking.
The charges read in part, “That you, Uchechi Joseph, Benedict Akpudachie, Abubakar Idris, Onah Hyacinth and others now at large, on or about August 22, 2019, at Coal Camp Enugu, within the Enugu-North Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; child trafficking.
“That you, Uchechi Joseph, Benedict Akpudachie, Abubakar Idris, Onah Hyacinth and others now at large, on the same date and place, did deal on the buying and selling of a one-day old boy, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 30 (1) and punishable under Section 30 (3) of the Child’s Rights Act, 2014.”
The magistrate, U. M. Ozoeze remanded the accused in custody.
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