A suspected baby factory in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, was on Friday busted by police in the state.
Maureen Chinaka, Police spokesperson, disclosed this at a news conference in Umuahia, the state capital at the weekend.
ASP Chinaka said 16 pregnant girls aged between 17 and 27 years were rescued during the operation.
She said 13 of the rescued pregnant girls hailed from Akwa Ibom State, while two others were from Cross River State. One of the girls hails from Ebonyi State.
She said the operation was conducted on Thursday night by police operatives from the Rapid Response Squad in the state, adding that the operatives also rescued eight children, comprising five males and three females, from the “baby factory”.
The eight children were aged between two and 11 years. Chinaka said two suspects – a woman and a man – allegedly harbouring the girls at the “baby factory” had been arrested by the police.
The police spokesperson identified the suspects as 29-year-old woman, Onyinyechi Okoro, and 32-year-old man, Ekene Okezie.
She said while Mrs. Okoro hails from Ihechiowa Community in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, Mr. Okezie is from Aro-Ndizuogu, a community in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.
Said she: “Discrete investigation is ongoing”.