Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a grandmother, Ekaette Obot, for allegedly stealing and selling her granddaughter for N200,000.
Obot claimed she sold the child to reduce her daughter, Blessing Okon (18) burden.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, said in Uyo on Tuesday that Obot, who is also pregnant, told the police that as soon as she was delivered of the baby, she would sell it.
He said, “This is the mother to this lady. As soon as her daughter gave birth she sold the child for N200, 000. She is pregnant and she is saying that as soon as she puts to bed, she is going to sell her own baby also.”
Ogunjmilusi revealed that the police had also arrested 275 other suspects for various offences which included murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and cultism.
He said most of the suspects had been charged to court, while others were being investigated, adding that the police had prosecuted 193 cases and secured 23 convictions.
According to him, 19 locally-made pistols, one pump action gun and one AK 47 rifle, one Toyota Camry saloon car with registration number , Cross River, CAL 584 NF, one Toyota Corolla vehicle and a total of 52 ammunition had been recovered from the hoodlums.
He said the police had also rescued one Mrs. Comfort Joshua from kidnappers in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area, adding that two of her abductors were killed during an exchange of gunfire with the police.
He said that a 21-year-old man, Michael Charlie, who was found in police uniform, had also been apprehended.