The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Felicia Nwamkpuma, has denied allegations that she has been in police detention since Monday, August 18, 2025, over claims of selling a baby for N25 million.
A 29-year-old woman, Susan Nweze, and her family alleged that her newborn baby was sold for N25 million by the state police command in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and other security agencies.
The family petitioned the Force Zonal Headquarters of the Police in Enugu, prompting an investigation.
Speaking to Journalists in Abakaliki Mrs. Nwamkpuma explained that she was invited by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in Enugu to present the baby, which the Ministry of Women Affairs has been keeping in custody. She stated that after presenting the baby on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, the AIG allowed her to return with the baby the same day.
The Commissioner emphasized that the Ministry of Women Affairs has the statutory right to keep vulnerable children safe and protected. She assured the public that the baby is currently under the Ministry's care and that no baby was sold, as alleged.
"On this matter, someone petitioned AIG Enugu and investigation into the matter is still ongoing. We have been invited to show the baby to show that this baby is with us.
"So, we have taken the baby to Enugu and AIG has seen the baby. We came back with the baby. We were invited to come to Enugu on that Tuesday with the baby and returned back with the baby on that same Tuesday being 19th August.
"We took the baby from the police to Enugu because they had already given us a handover note. We took the baby from them and we have to wait for the AIG to conclude his investigation.
"I have been in my office working, I was never arrested. I got an invitation from the police AIG. I got the letter on the 14th of August that they will like to see that baby. They told me to come with that baby and on Tuesday, we went to see the AIG with the baby and we were told to go back that same day after seeing the baby.
"We are not trying to cover anybody on this matter or pretend that the baby is not with us and we are saying the baby is with us. The baby is with us, no baby was sold, the ministry did not conspire neither did we in any agree with anybody to sell any baby and the word "sell" is against the child and nature. Babies are not sold.
"So, no baby was sold. The baby is under the Ministry of Women Affairs in a home where the baby is protected and we can't disclose the name of the home for security reasons.
"Before the police came with a letter, we were informed that a couple were requesting for this particular baby, that the mother of the baby said she is financially and emotionally to care for the baby. They said a lot of things in the letter but the Ministry don't just rely on a consent letter from the mother or any body.
"We said okay, until we see the person that wrote that letter, then we can now know the next line of action. The baby was never adopted because when you talk about adoption, it's a legal term that can be done by the court but when a child is brought to us depending on the vulnerability of the child, the first thing we do is to take custody of this child. We take some of them to hospital first so that the child will receive medical care or some, we take them straight to motherless babies home".
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