A 45 year-old man accused of collaborating with a widow to abduct a 6-month old baby for illicit act has told police detectives investigating the issue that the prime suspect, Mrs Stella Ekwerekwu, bought the baby she presented to her late husband at his sick bed as their biological child for N600,000.
Stella’s husband, Victor Ekwerekwu, a business mogul had reportedly died in the hospital shortly after the baby was shown to him as his.
The alleged accomplice, who gave his name as Uchechi Egwim,claimed to have driven the suspect in her car to Ihiala area of Anambra State to make payment and subsequently take delivery of the baby.
Accepting full involvement in the act, Mr Uchechi, in a confessional statement to police detectives from the Intelligence Response Team, IRT,insisted that Mrs Stella purchased the baby from a couple at Ihiala.
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In the confessional statement, he stated that he was contacted by the suspect, a 43-year old widow, to drive her to the point of delivery of the baby. Uchechi Egwim, who is also an in-law to the suspect, said Mrs Stella Ekwerekwu having hinted him of the development, he drove her to the area where they took possession of the baby and made payment appropriately.
Stella’s action, according to investigation, was to prevent her In-laws from inheriting her husband’s property in event of death.
Following the unfortunate passing of Victor Ekwerekwu, the controversy of the child began as the family of Stella’s husband denied that the six-month old was fathered by their son.
The development which was dragged to the police attracted the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who ordered a paternity test on the child.
The result of the test which came out negative prompted the police boss to charge the 43-year old widow before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court for child trafficking and abduction of the baby.
Specifically, the IGP accused the defendant, Mrs Stella NdidiAmaka Ekwerekwu, of falsely presenting the baby to her late husband, Victor Ekwerekwu as theirs, thereby committing an offence that is contrary to section 27 (1) of the Child’s Right Act (2003), and punishable under section 27 (2)(b) of the same act.
Charged alongside Ekwerekwu, is her accomplice, one Nkechi Hellen Ogbonankwo, who is said to be at large. In an three-count (amended) charge filed by GJ Ayanna (Esq}, and marked FCT/HC/NY/CR/77/2020, the police chief said the offence was committed sometime in October, 2019.
The criminal charge, which is being prosecuted through the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), as well as the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), said both suspects, who are of F16 court road Onitsha, Ananbra state, criminally conspired to perpetrate the crime.
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There has been a protracted battle between the family of late business mogul, Ekwerekwu and his widow, Ndidiamaka, over the paternity of a nine-month –old baby, Chidera
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