39-year-old Angela Chidozie, who was arrested last week Friday by men of the Ogun State Police Command at a house she allegedly used as a ‘baby factory’ in Akute area of the state, in a new chat with Punch, has tried to justify why she was caught with pregnant young girls whose babies she sold for money.
According to Chidozie, none of her customers who bought a baby from her used the baby for ritual purposes. When asked how she was sure of that, Angela said:
“I study those who come to buy babies from me. When I am sure that they actually want to buy because they are looking for the fruits of the womb, I sell the babies to them.
It is my job now. I know how to test the women to see if they actually cannot have children. When I see people who come to me for children, I know if they want the babies for ritual purposes or not. I ensure the women come with their husbands. I don’t sell children to them if they don’t come with their spouses. It is not about the money. My concern is just to help the young girls and to help those who want children. This is why I pray on the babies before I hand them over to the buyers. I make sure the babies are okay.”When asked how she ensured that the babies were okay as she claimed after she had sold them off, Angela continued:
“I just know. Some buyers come back to thank me and even buy cartons of soft drinks for me in appreciation.”Angela said she gave the girls in her ‘baby factory’ ante-natal care in the house where she kept them. She explained that she had a dedicated nurse who took care of the pregnant girls.
“One day, I met a woman who wore a nurse uniform, I approached her and asked if she could treat my sister. She followed me home and I introduced her to the girls. She later agreed to come and treat them anytime necessary.She insists she did not force any of the girls into the business. She said they came to her because they did not want their babies. She claimed she screened the girls before accepting them, adding that she rejected anyone that did not provide satisfactory answers to her questions.
“She gave the girls injection anytime they needed treatment. She also supplied their medicines.
“When the girls were due, the nurse delivered them of the babies in my house but when she was not around and a girl was in labour, I would deliver the girl of the baby myself. I can do it because I am a herbal doctor; so I know how to deliver women of babies. I have only personally delivered three girls of their babies.”
“I asked them where their parents were and who impregnated them. If the girls didn’t give me any good response, I sent them back to where they came from. Even last week I still sent three of them away.”Asked if she actually asked any of the eight girls, arrested with her, who impregnated them, Angela struck a thoughtful pose and said,:
“I can’t remember. But in the past, I have called the boyfriends of pregnant girls in my custody to confirm that they want their babies sold."She became evasive when asked the highest amount she had ever sold a baby.
“I don’t collect much; you know fingers are not equal. Some come to my house begging that they don’t have much. I collect N200,000 from some, even N150,000 from some others. I don’t really know where those who approach me for babies come from.”Saturday PUNCH asked why she did not direct the girls to proper orphanages if she was not doing it for the money, she said “I don’t know why they prefer me.”
She had told the police upon her arrest that she gave the pregnant girls between N70,000 and N80,000 after their babies were sold off at the rate of N300,000. Angela said her husband knew she was involved in the business in the past but had warned her to stop the business.
The eight girls rescued from her ‘baby factory’ are also in the custody of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit.
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