A 45-year-old woman, Oluchukwu Nwosu, has been apprehended for allegedly selling her three-month-old grandchild for N50,000. The Anambra State government, represented by Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare Mrs. Ify Obinabo, revealed this information during a press briefing on Sunday.

According to Commissioner Obinabo, the baby was rescued following consistent intelligence reports and surveillance over almost a month. The operation was initiated after Ijeoma Nwosu reported that her mother, Oluchukwu, forcefully sold the baby and kept the whereabouts undisclosed.

Four suspects involved in the crime, including Oluchukwu and a middleman named Tochukwu Asiegbu, have been apprehended and will be handed over to the police for questioning and further investigation.

Oluchukwu, pleading for mercy, explained that financial constraints led her to sell her grandchild. She claimed that the baby would be her daughter’s third child out of wedlock, and they lacked the means to care for the children. Oluchukwu entered into an agreement with Asiegbu, who paid her N50,000 for the transaction.

Asiegbu, the middleman, revealed her profit of N30,000, stating that her role was to connect Oluchukwu with the buyer. The buyer, Evelyn Egwuatu, paid N200,000 to obtain the baby from Ebelechukwu Uba, a middleman residing in Anambra.

Uba claimed to be just a middleman, emphasizing that the decision to sell the baby to Egwuatu was made by Asiegbu and Oluchukwu.