Two human traffickers in Edo State have been arrested for alleged abduction and sale of a baby girl for N1.7 milion (One million seven hundred Naira.

Members of Edo State Taskforce Against Human Trafficking who rescued the the baby girl gave her name as Deborah.

Mr Crusoe Osagie, spokesman for Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Benin City.

Osagie explained that the baby was initially sold to a 45-year old woman, Maureen Ekuase who later sold Deborah to another 63-year old woman, Grace Idehen for N1.7 million.

He said in the statement that the baby was a victim of human trafficking and illegal adoption.

The Governor’s aide said the abducted Child was returned by a kind-hearted woman in company of a man from the Eastern part of Nigeria.

Part of the statement reads: “Baby Deborah was adopted by one Grace Idehen, female, 63 years old, of No 1, Idehen Street, Egor Quarters, on the 30th December 2019 from Faith Land Orphanage Home of No 9 Osarenren Street, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, owned by Maureen Ekuase ‘F’ 45years.

“According to Maureen Ekuase, in collaboration with one Igbinosa Janet, female, 52 years of Igbinosa Street, the Director of Compassion Orphanage Home in Benin City, said the victim was brought by a good Samaritan woman in company of a man from the Eastern part of Nigeria.”

It added that “Efforts to trace the victim’s parent have not yielded any positive result, as the two suspects who sold the baby girl for One million, seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N1,750,000), declined giving the Edo State Taskforce investigation team any useful information”.

The taskforce further urged “Anybody with useful information of the whereabout of the parents of the child, to contact the following numbers 09017882002, 09018332001 and 08183812531.”

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