Abakaliki — A 37-year-old single mother from Ebonyi State, Susan Nweze, has denied claims that she sold her newborn baby for N25 million, stating that the child was given up for legal adoption and that she received N700,000 as compensation, not as payment.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at her residence in Abakaliki on Tuesday, Nweze said the adoption process was lawfully carried out and duly signed before the baby was handed over.
“I did not sell my baby. The N700,000 I received was to help me recover after delivery, not a price for the child,” she said.
Nweze, who is unemployed and already has two children aged 19 and 12, explained that she opted for adoption due to her inability to care for the newborn.
“I gave birth at the Police Headquarters Clinic. I’m a single mother with no source of income or support. It wasn’t about the money—it was about survival and knowing I couldn’t raise another child,” she stated.
However, controversy erupted after her family petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department in Enugu, through their lawyer, Nzogbu Kingsley. In the petition, they accused some police officers of conspiring with Nweze to sell the baby for N25 million, alleging that only N700,000 was given to the mother while the rest went unaccounted for.
The family also alleged complicity from the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs, demanding the return of the baby.
Responding to the allegations, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Ikeuwa Omebeh, described the claims as baseless. He clarified that the baby was surrendered for custody and possible adoption due to the mother’s stated financial and emotional instability.
“The ministry is handling the case in line with legal procedures. Investigations are ongoing to verify all claims related to the child’s birth, paternity, and circumstances,” Omebeh noted.
Also reacting, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Felicia Nwankpuma, dismissed reports of a N25 million baby sale as false.
“The child is in our custody and is being properly cared for. No baby was sold. I am shocked by this N25 million figure and unaware of any such transaction,” Nwankpuma said.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine the facts surrounding the adoption and whether any irregularities occurred.
