A couple, Chidi and Maureen Martins, allegedly running a baby factory at a church in the Rumuolumili area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have been arrested by the police.
Three newborns, their mothers and three pregnant teenagers, were reportedly found at the facility.
Another couple ready to take away two babies bought at the church, Grate Mercy Deliverance Ministry, were also apprehended by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.
The operators reportedly scouted for teenagers who could not take care of their pregnancies across Rivers, Abia, Akwa Ibom and Imo states.
City Round learnt that the Martins worked with a woman identified simply as IB, who found buyers for the babies. IB is still at large.
To fast-track the criminal deal, they reportedly induced their victims to give birth at eighth month. After births, they allegedly gave them drugs that would make them sleep off.
“When they woke up, they would be told the babies were dead whereas they (the babies) had been sold to waiting buyers,” a police source said.
It was learnt that the syndicate was busted recently after a relative of one of the victims, Patience, lured into the church from Akwa Ibom State, reported her missing to the IRT.
Consequently, a team of detectives trailed Patience to the church where they found three pregnant teenagers, three newborn babies and their teenage mums, including Patience.
The source stated, “One of the pregnant teenagers, Lovett, is five months’ pregnant. She is from Ngor-Okpala area of Imo State. We also found one Chisom, from Ohaji Egbema, Imo State. She is 18 years old and seven months’ pregnant. The third pregnant lady is Chioma.
“Patience was found with a day-old baby boy and two other teenagers Favour and Chizaram, were found with a baby girl and a baby boy respectively. In the course of investigations, it was discovered that pregnant teenagers were usually induced into labour in their eighth months due to demands from people who wanted to buy the babies.
“The suspects, Maureen Matins, and her husband Chidi, who used the church to perpetrate the criminal act, promised the expectant teenage mums accommodation, feeding and maternity care and assured them they would be sent back after delivery. They worked with a woman known as IB who is on the run now.
“A couple, who came to buy a baby boy and a girl from Maureen, were also arrested. They paid N3.5m. The children are those of Patience and Favour. The two babies were sold to the couple as twins. There are over seven rooms in the church where the girls were kept. Maureen said she had lost count of the number of babies she had sold.”
Another source disclosed that after selling the babies, Maureen and her husband would give the mothers N30,000 to travel back to their states.
He added, “It was discovered that Maureen had been operating the baby factory for over six years and people came from across the country to buy babies from her. She usually sold baby boys for N1.5m each, while baby girls were sold for N1.1m each. Maureen is the general overseer of her church, while her husband is an associate pastor.
