72-year-old, Elder Dominic Anajeonu, and four women were yesterday arraigned before a Senior Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt, for allegedly selling two 2-day-old babies.
The 72-year-old was docked alongside the mother of the children, 30-year-old Eucharia Nwechie, alleged buyers of the children and the facilitator of the unwholesome transaction.
Other persons being held in connection with the illicit trade include Mrs. Nkiruka Anyanwu (45), Mrs. Chinyere Ihuoma(35) and Mrs. Oluchi Nneji, also 35 years old.
The mother of the babies had on two different occasions sold the 2-day-old babies to interested buyers two years ago, and last month (June).
Mrs. Nwechie was reported to have in June 2010, at number 309 Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt,sold a 2-day-old baby boy to one Mrs. Nkeiruka Anyanwu at the cost of N100,000.
The buyer (Anyanwu), thereafter, resold the baby to Ihuoma at the cost of N450,000, making an instant profit of N350,000.
In a different charge sheet, the first accused person (Eucharia), was also alleged to have, last month, sold another baby to one Mrs. Oluchi Nneji at the price of N300,000.
The deals were reportedly perfected in the home the Septuagenarian (Anajeonu), who also facilitated the horrendous trade.
But luck ran out for the child trafficking ring when the baby reportedly died barely weeks after the illicit deal.
Nevertheless, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge brought against them and applied for bail through their defence lawyers simply identified as Philip and Amaka.
The prosecution, represented by Inspector Agbor Simon, objected to the bail of the accused persons, noting that they would definitely jump bail if released.
To buttress his argument, Mr. Agbor disclosed that the husband of the first accused person (mother of the babies) jumped bail after police granted them (he and his wife) bail, adding that it has not been easy to re-arrest him since then.
He insisted that if the accused persons are granted bail, they would likely jump bail and bring embarrassment to the court.
The trial magistrate, Mrs. Vic Jumbo, however, ruled in favour of prosecution by ordering that the accused persons be remanded till July 25 for bail consideration.
Our reporter gathered that the last buyer of the baby is yet to be identified and the baby yet to be recovered.
The baby was reportedly sold to an unknown buyer at the cost of N500, 000 and the transactions and arrests were carried out in Port Harcourt and Mbaise in Imo state.