The C4i intelligence unit of the Rivers State Police Command has busted a child trafficking syndicate operating in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The police spokesperson in Rivers, Grace Iringe-Koko said operatives of the command acting on intelligence raided two buildings over the weekend where pregnant teenagers were rescued.
Some of the victim are as young as 15 years old and are heavily pregnant while others nurse infants.
According to her, the buildings were located at Igwuruta and Omagwa communities both in the Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The teenagers were lured by the promise of financial reward depending on the sex of the baby they deliver.
One of the victims said she was promised the sum of N800,000 if she births a male child, and N700,000 for a female.
This position is corroborated by Peace, who is one of the four arrested suspects believed to be running the syndicate. The suspect claimed she merely provided shelter and care for the pregnant girls in her home.
Providing an update on the incident however, police spokesperson explained that at the moment, both the victims and suspects are in the custody of the CP Monitoring Unit but will soon be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
