In a statement issued by the command's Public Relations Officer, DSP Ebere Amaraizu, operatives at 9th Mile Division achieved the feat through their robust intelligence network. The factory is said to be owned and operated by one Ikechukwu Onoh of Etiti Amakwo Ngwo.
According to the statement, the said baby factory being operated in the private house of the suspect was raided yesterday by the operatives who acted on the strength of intelligence gathered about the baby factory where nine pregnant girls and women with various degrees of pregnancy were found.
The pregnant girls and women were identified as Stella James from Ohaozara in Ebonyi state (19 years old); Eze Jennifer (19 years old) from Obukpa in Nsukka local government, Enugu State; Ugwu Christabel, (17 years old) from Aku Igbo Etiti local government, Enugu State; Happiness Mbaonu (17 years old) of Nnewi, Anambra State; Ovunna Ifeoma (20 years old) from Ezza in Ebonyi State; Esther Nwankwo (21 years old) from Nkalagu, Ebonyi State; Onyedika Agu (23 years old) from Isuawa Awgu, Enugu State; Blessing James (23 years old) from Ohafia, Abia State and Chibueze Ujunwa (24 years old) from Nenwenta Aninri local government area, Enugu State.
The pregnant ladies are presently helping the operatives in their investigations.
The operator of the factory claimed that he got a provisional approval in October 2007 from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Enugu State, to admit and shelter pregnant women in his hospital called 'Tex Hospital and Maternity Home,' located at 9th Mile Corner, Enugu and that the hospital is no longer functional, hence, he is now running the home from his house.
He admitted that, although he was supposed to formally inform the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development within 24 hours of admitting any pregnant woman, he only notified the authorities through phone calls, and not in writing.
However, Onoh was not able to produce any reference letter through which any of the ladies was referred to his home.
Some of the girls narrated their ordeal like Ugwu Christabel of Aku in Igboetiti who maintained that she was allegedly raped by someone during her secondary school period, called Emeka whom also she does not know and that she could not report to the parents until pregnancy resulted; leading to her being forced to marry an old man or leave the family which made her to seek for assistance through one of the aunties that directed her to the home.
According to her, they don't usually do anything at the home. It is just to eat, give lists of their wants, but with the agreement that the babies will be taken upon delivery.
The statement added that the state Criminal and Intelligence Department is conducting full scale investigations with a view to establishing the legality of the maternity home and how exactly all the inmates got to the home amongst other relevant issues.