Five pregnant teenagers rescued by NDLEA deny unborn babies' father

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have rescued five pregnant teenagers suspected to be victims of child trafficking used as baby factory in Imo State.

They were picked up by NDLEA agents while being relocated from their hideout in Naze area of Owerri to Ikenegbu Area of the State.

Spokesman for the anti-narcotic agency, Mr Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that the said the girls were rescued by operatives on patrol in Aba-Owerri expressway on Wednesday 13th September.

He identified the victims as Chioma Emmanuel, 15; Uma Faith, 15; Divine Adimonye, 17; Opara Gift, 15; and Amarachi Mbata, 16, alleged that they do not know the father of their unborn babies.

Babafemi revealed that the victims have been handed over the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, for further investigations.

“In their statements, they claimed they didn’t know the men who impregnated them.

“The Imo State Command of the Agency has since been directed to hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, for further investigations”, NDELA said.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday 13th September sentenced to five years imprisonment a drug dealer, Segun Odeyemi for trafficking and dealing in 3,842 kilograms of skunk.

The convict was arrested on Saturday 1st July while conveying 89 jumbo bags of the illicit substance in his truck around Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki.

He was subsequently charged in suit number FHC/L/388C/2023 presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko, NDLEA said.

Similarly, fresh attempts to export various quantities of methamphetamine and skunk by members of some transnational drug trafficking organisations through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja and courier companies in Lagos have again been thwarted by NDLEA agents.

The intercepted the illicit drug consignments concealed in different items, according to the Agency, which also intercepted an intending passenger going to Oman, Ugwu Peter Tochukwu, while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 12th September 2023.

Upon a thorough search of his luggage, 7.50 kilograms of skunk were discovered concealed inside crayfish mixed with dry bitter leaf.

In the dame vein, men of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, NDLEA attached to some courier companies also intercepted Dubai-bound 2.9 kilograms of skunk and 14 grams of methamphetamine concealed in bags of semovita and soles of ladies’ high heel shoes respectively.

The NDLEA also recorded breakthroughs in its way against drug trafficking in parts of Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory.