The Police have burst a baby factory in Rivers State and arrested over 16 pregnant girls, a cleric that runs the factory, Glory Raphael, and three others.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Zaki, who paraded 39 suspected criminals arrested within the week yesterday in Port Harcourt, said: "Men of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, CIID, in a sting operation on Friday, stormed the premises of one Gloria Raphael and the General Overseer of Mount Sinai Ministry at Rukpokwu, who is into the business of child trafficking and sale.
"16 pregnant women were arrested. One of them by name Chinyere Nweke entered labour on Saturday and was rushed to the Police clinic, where she gave birth to a baby girl."
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However, the cleric, Gloria Raphael, said: "There was a day my sister, Esther Joseph, called me to come and help her, saying somebody was sick. So they brought the girl.
"She brought two girls to me and they were having discharge. So I called a midwife to deliver them. Some of the girls came for prayers; they have husbands."
One of the pregnant girls arrested, Sandra Solomon, disclosed that an agent of the baby factory informed her that they sell babies in that church.
She noted that she decided to go there because there was no help for her, adding that she was not told how much they sell babies.
Sandra said: "I became pregnant and I didn't know what to do. A lady told me that they sell babies in that church, so I came. The woman did not tell me how much they sell each baby.
"As we were sleeping in the church, Police came and arrested all of us. I don't want to sell my baby."
Another five-month pregnant girl, aged 17 years, said: "The person that got me pregnant brought me to the woman's house. He said I should stay with the woman and that when I put to bed, he will come and pick me."
