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The police in Enugu State said they have arraigned three women who allegedly killed a nursing mother and sold her newborn twins in the state.
The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
He said the arraignment followed the conclusion of police investigations into the incident.
Mr Ndukwe said the suspects were arrested on 26 July following receipt of a report alleging that they conspired and sold the newborn twins belonging to Chinenye Odoh, 31, whom they later killed.
He gave the names of the suspects as Cynthia Ukorie, 25, Pauline Onyia, 56, and Ijeoma Aroh, 39 – all residents of the state.
How it happened
Ms Ukorie, the first suspect, accommodated the slain nursing mother, Mrs Odoh, in her house while she was pregnant.
All the suspects had an understanding with the deceased that the unborn children would be sold after delivery.
When she finally delivered the babies on 5 July, Ms Aroh, the second suspect, facilitated their sale by contacting Ms Onyia, a nurse, and the third suspect, who brought a couple that bought the babies.
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Ms Aroh was said to have sold the babies for N3 million but lied to Mrs Odoh that she sold the babies for N2,350,000, which she believed.
According to police investigations, Ms Aroh thereafter gave Mrs Odoh, the mother of the babies, the sum of N1.8 million as her share of the proceeds and handed N50,000 each to two other suspects – Mss Ukorie and Onyia.
However, Mrs Odoh later protested when she discovered that she was told a lie about the amount the babies were sold.
She consequently demanded her balance, prompting the suspects to conspire against her.
Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said one of the suspects, Ms Ukorie, apparently unhappy with the demand for balance, gave Mrs Odoh poisoned corn, which she ate before dying.
The police spokesperson said the suspects are facing trial for conspiracy, child trafficking and murder.
The suspects have been remanded in the Enugu Correctional Custodial Centre, pending the further hearing of the case, police said
Mr Ndukwe said the case has been adjourned till 5 October, but did not give details of the court where the suspects are facing the trial.
