Police discover baby factory in Port Harcourt, rescue babies and pregnant teenagers

The eagle crack unit of the command raided the baby factory facility, and rescued 24 babies between the ages of one and two years, as well as four pregnant teenagers

The rescued babies, who according to the police looked malnourished, are now receiving treatment.

Disclosing the uncovered baby factory, in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Mustapha Dandaura who is the state Commissioner of Police, said the rescued babies looked frail and malnourished and are receiving treatment at a medical centre.

Represented by Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Nnamdi Omoni, said the babies are now currently receiving medical attention, as investigation had commenced to identify the masterminds of the child trafficking syndicate.

“The men of the Eagle Crack Unit, in a covert operation on Tuesday, around 3.00pm, burst a child trafficking syndicate at Woji in Port Harcourt, where 24 babies between the ages of one and two; and four pregnant teenagers were rescued.

“The babies and pregnant teenagers, who are frail and malnourished, are currently receiving medical attention at the police clinic, while investigation is still on with a view to making more recoveries and bringing the masterminds to justice,"

Mustapha Dandaura said. The police command however appealed to the public, particularly Rivers residents whose babies are missing to come forward for identification and collection.

The owner of the home has denied the claim by the police that the home was a baby factory, noting that the orphanage and transition home was registered as a Non-Governmental Organisation in 2018(NGO).

The lawyer of the home, Eunice Uchendu, said: “the E-Crack team came to Tenter Life Foundation Initiative and arrested the owner and other persons on wrong information that it was a baby factory, which is not true. “It is an orphanage. She (owner) works in collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare. The ministry also gave her grant to run a similar thing at Ogoni area. This body was registered in June 2018.”