Police officers in Akwa Ibom State have rescued a two-day-old baby that was sold for N800,000. The police also arrested several people linked to a suspected child trafficking group.

According to the police spokesperson, DSP Timfon John, the baby was rescued during a patrol along the Nsit Atai/Oron Road. Officers stopped a Mazda car with three adults and a baby inside. When asked, the people in the car could not clearly explain who the baby belonged to.

After more questioning, two women in the car—Nasikpo Sonia Labere and Inemesit Okin Akpan—confessed that they were sent from Port Harcourt by two women, Waazor Godwin and Lilian Duru. They were told to collect the baby from a woman named Grace Inyang in Oron.

The investigation also led to the arrest of a man named Alison Eduno, who connected the buyer and seller. Later, the baby’s mother, Blessing Walter (20 years old), and her mother, Grace Walter (55 years old), were arrested in Oti Oron. They admitted to selling the baby for N800,000.

All the suspects are now in police custody. The baby has been handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare in Uyo for proper care until the investigation is over.

This incident shows the ongoing efforts of the police in Akwa Ibom to fight child trafficking and protect innocent lives.