A 20-year-old Maria Ekanem, native of
Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross
River State has claimed that poverty forced
her to sell her two weeks old baby girl for
N20,000.
The suspect, who was arrested by the police
along five other accomplices, said her lover,
who put her in the family way, had asked her
to terminate the baby but a doctor helped her
with free antenatal care and food until she
gave birth.
Ekanem claimed she had no choice than to sell
the baby because there was no more money to
cater for her.
Paraded along with Maria were a 55-year-old
medical doctor, Okokon Offiong Okoho, the
proprietor of Evangel Clinic,of 2, Atu Street; a
70-year-old matron of Sadatoe Maternity
located at Umoh Street and a nurse at the
maternity, who allegedly made the plans to
sell the girl to an Abuja-based lady who is now
at large.
The police went after Maria and her
accomplices when information of plans to sell
the baby was leaked by a Senior Secondary
Two girl of NYSC Demonstration Secondary
School, Calabar , Maria Elemi, whose parents
Maria was living with after she delivered the
baby.
“When I came back from school on Monday,
Maria told me she wanted to take the baby to
the parents of the boy who impregnated her
since she can no longer cope with taking care
of the baby,” she told newsmen.
Maria said when they got to Fuller by Inyang
Street in Calabar South, they met Mrs Elemi
and her daughter in an SUV car, adding that
Maria gave the girl to the matron who handed
her over to the buyer.
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