A Reverend Father, along with other culprits, has been arrested for stealing an 18-month-old baby in Osogbo, Osun state.
The child was kidnapped from his mother and sold to an orphanage. The
priest, Rev. Father Chike Ejiofor, who heads Our Lady of Fatima parish
in Woliwo, Onitsha, Anambra State, is believed to have unknowingly
become an accomplice after a parishioner approached him that she wanted
to adopt a child and he referred her to the orphanage the baby was sold
to and even helped her through the process.
Among those arrested was 28-year-old Joy Esu. According to Punch,
Joy approached the mother of 18-month-old Abdullahi Azeez at her shop in
Osogbo and pretended that she wanted to learn tailoring so the mother
accepted. Two days later, when the mother left her alone with the baby
to go to the market, Joy ran off with the child who she then gave to her
boyfriend Sidney Onwuka.
Onwuka, who has sold at least 6 children stolen by Joy, then sold
baby Abdullahi to one Maxwell Agu, who claimed to be running a
government registered orphanage at Orlu, Imo State. Onwuka said he had
sold six babies to the operator of the orphanage, including his own
child, adding that the operator paid him N200,000 for his child.
Joy alleged Onwuka used charms to manipulate her into doing whatever
he wants because she has never been able to refuse him when he sends her
to commit a crime, even though he never pays her a kobo for it. She
added that she even sold her daughter to him and he didn't pay her for
it.
Now, this is where the priest comes in. A widowed parishioner named
Elizabeth, who has 5 grown daughters but wants a male child, met the
priest and told him of her intention to adopt a son. The priest
contacted the operator of the orphanage and baby Abdullah was brought to
the parish by Mr Agu and Joy Esu. Ms Elizabeth gave the priest N750,000
which he paid to Mr Agu, the orphanage operator and they were given an
adoption form to fill to make it look legitimate.
Speaking to journalists, Rev. Father Chike Ejiofor said: "I wanted to
help the lady and that was what I was after because people come to me
for help and I help them. I am in shock now. This is my 32 years in the
ministry, but look at how I crashed.
"My hands, legs and entire body are in the trap now, how do I
extricate myself? I only wanted to help the woman; I had no other
intention."
The Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye, led
other officers to parade the suspects at the police headquarters in
Osogbo on Thursday. Mr Adeoye said the suspects stole the baby and
drugged him so he wouldn't cry out when he was being taken out of Osun
State.
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