Twenty-two-year-old Chinaza Onwuasoanya, is now gnashing her teeth in
the custody of the Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Anambra
State Police Command, after refusing to retrace her steps and turn a new
leaf.
Onwuasoanya was impregnated by her boyfriend in Lagos and
returned to Anambra State to have the baby but was too ashamed to go
back home to her parents. After giving birth to a baby girl, a friend
introduced her to 45-year-old Goodness, who runs an orphanage, which the
police allege, was a cover for a baby-trafficking operation.
Onwuasoanya
easily handed over the baby girl in exchange for the sum of N150,000
paid to her by Goodness and moved on with her life. The money she made
from the evil transaction apparently opened her eyes to the possibility
of earning more from the same source. Without batting an eyelid, she
moved into child-trafficking, thereby sinking deeper into iniquity.
Recounting
her journey into child-trafficking, Onwuasoanya told Sunday Sun: “I got
into child trafficking two years ago. I have sold 20 male and female
children to Madam Goodness who operates the orphanage. She paid me
between N150,000 and N200,000 for each baby I sold to her. I got to know
her when I became pregnant and gave birth to a girl on October 4, 2013.
After I delivered the baby, a friend introduced me to Madam Goodness. I
took my daughter to her and she gave me N150,000.00, to take care of
myself.
After that time, I decided to go into child trafficking
by kidnapping children coming back from school or getting them in the
street. Then I would take them to Madam Goodness. And she would sell
them between N150,000 and N200,000. But I was arrested on May 1, 2017,
when I stole a set of twins at an estate in Onitsha and took them to my
house. Suddenly the father of the twins traced me to my house and came
with policemen and I was arrested.”
Onwuasoanya who hails from
Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State, made
interesting revelations to the police while being interrogated. She
confessed to being a member of the gang of robbers who killed two
policemen, Inspector Shuaibu Usman and Sergeant Julius Matthew, of
Police Mobile Force 29 in February, 2017 at Nkpor fly-over, Onitsha and
took their AK-47 rifles, which were later used to commit robberies in
Nkpor, Obosi, Ogidi, Nkpor Old Road, Awka, Oye-agu. She also assisted
the SARS operatives to arrest three members of the gang while the other
six members escaped and are still at large. She disclosed that she was
always given her own share of the money made during robbery operations,
saying that she got between N50,000 and N80,000.
Though the
prodigal daughter is now filled with regret, it appears too late, as the
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Okaula, indicated. Besides, she
passed up the opportunity to retrace her steps after giving birth to the
baby. As she noted, her parents are still alive and probably agonizing
over their daughter who deviated from the strait and narrow path and
chose the way that has now put her in police custody for allegedly
associating with armed robbers and engaging in child-trafficking.
“I
have regretted what I did. My parents are alive. It was my friend who
introduced to child trafficking and which led me to armed robbery
today,” Onwuasoanya said, the reality of what lies ahead weigh heavily
on her mind.
Meanwhile, the Commander of SARS, Supol Sunday Okpe
confirmed that Ownuasoanya’s confession led to the arrest of three
people alleged to be members of the gang. The suspects are: Ifeanyi
Onwukwe a.k.a Nger, 22; Chidubem Osita a.k.a Kabaka, 23, and Chijioke
Obi a.k.a Abababa, who is 23 years old.
When prodded by Sunday
Sun for comments, Onwukwe said: “It is true that we killed two policemen
at Nkpor, we went with one vehicle and three motorcycles which we
always used for our robbery operations. We always met at the football
field at Nkpor to plan our strategies. The SARS operatives recovered an
AK47 rifle from us. We used the AK47 rifle to carry out our operations.”
Goodness
who admitted to running an orphanage, which had 15 children, however,
denied engaging in child trafficking. She added: “Students who got
pregnant come to us to deliver their babies, and we take care of them.
Also children whose parents died are brought to us too.
I don’t sell children rather I take care of them. I have never known Chinasa Onwuasoanya in my life.”