The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Imo State Police Command has arrested a 27-year-old single mother, Nneka Donatus, who reportedly sold her baby girl a day after giving birth.

A level 12 civil servant in the state Ministry of Women Affairs, Ujunwa Udechukwu who is 40 years old; and Nneoma Onwusereaka,who is 37 years old; were also arrested for allegedly conspiring with the single mother to sell the baby to a couple.

The mother of the baby, who spoke to Southern City News at the command headquarters in Owerri on Thursday, confessed that she used part of the proceeds to buy a phone, wrapper and slippers for herself.

She said she was not ready to keep the baby girl having given birth to five children before.

Speaking in her native dialect, she said “I sold my baby girl for N600,000 and used N15,000 from the money to buy a phone, wrapper and slippers and transported myself back home.

“I asked Nneoma Onwusereaka and her husband, who had the balance to use it to start a business for me. I have five children already and I am separated from my former husband.”

A civil servant, who was arrested in connection with the crime, said she was rewarded with N10,000 for connecting the buyer with the seller.

A police source who spoke to newsman said that while the single mother delivered the baby on March 28, the day old baby was sold for N600,000 on March 29 at Ezinachi in the Okigwe LGA of Imo State.

The source noted that the suspects were arrested at different locations in the state after some SARS personnel, led by their Commander, Victor Godfrey, activated the operational strategies of the unit.

As the fight against child trafficking continues, it seems to be taking a new dimension with parents now selling their own babies. Two weeks ago, it was a man in Port Harcourt who sold his twin babies for N500,000.