Abia State SS rescues 16 pregnant women from Aba baby factory

THE Abia  State Command of Directorate of State Service, DSS, has rescued 16 pregnant girls from a ‘baby factory’ in Aba.

Parading the young girls, yesterday, in his Umuahia office, the state Director of DSS, Mr. Matthew Obodoechi, said the girls and women whose ages range between 17 and 37 were rescued on June 17, 2013.

Obodoechi gave the name of the home as Cross Foundation International, located along Anyamele Street in Umungasi area of Aba.

According to Obodoechi, proprietor of the home, Dr. Hyginus Ndudim Orikara, has been arrested. He vowed that the medical practitioner would be prosecuted.

Ironically, the medical doctor is said to be in the employ of Abia State Government, which has been actively involved in the fight against the “baby factory” menace in the state.

The DSS director expressed worry that menace of baby factory was fast becoming a new crime trend in some South-East states.

He said: “It is another kind of kidnapping where babies are snatched at point of birth and sold. It is a big shame, a big problem and it all boils down to the kind of values we have in the society today. Life is not valued.”

Dr Orikara, however, denied running a baby factory, saying, his Cross Foundation was legitimately registered as a charity home. - Vanguard