The Ebonyi State Government has denied reports circulating in some online media alleging that officials of its Ministry of Women Affairs colluded with other agencies to sell a baby for N25 million.
The allegations, which also implicated the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police, were described as misleading and baseless during a joint press briefing held over the weekend in Abakaliki.
Addressing journalists, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebeh, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Felicia Nwamkpuma, dismissed the claims as a deliberate attempt to incite public distrust in the state’s child protection system.
The accusations stem from a petition by the family of Nweze Philip Obasi from Umuobuna Etiti, Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area, alleging that security and welfare officials were complicit in the sale and cover-up of the child.
However, Omebeh clarified that all agencies mentioned in the reports—including NAPTIP, the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the State Ministry of Women Affairs—have individually denied involvement.
“Ordinarily, the government would have remained silent, but for the love Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has for children, and in line with the Child Rights Law of 2010, we felt the need to set the record straight,” Omebeh stated.
On her part, Mrs. Nwamkpuma firmly denied that any child was sold, stating that the baby in question is currently safe and in the protective custody of the Ministry.
She explained that the Ministry became involved after the police formally handed over the child for documentation, following the mother’s voluntary decision to relinquish custody due to financial and emotional instability.
“The Ministry acted within its mandate under the Child Rights Law of 2010 to protect the child while investigations continue. The welfare and safety of the baby remain our top priority. There is absolutely no truth to the claim that the baby was sold,” she said.
The commissioners reassured the public of the government’s commitment to transparency and justice. They stressed that any official found culpable after the investigation would face appropriate disciplinary actions.
They also reiterated that the state government remains fully committed to upholding the rights and welfare of every child in Ebonyi State.
