Permanent Secretary in Police net for sale of newborn baby in Bayelsa

ASP. Asinim Butswat

A Serving Permanent Secretary in Bayelsa, Dr. Wisdom Sawyer has been arrested by Police over alleged attempts to sell newborn baby.

The Permanent Secretary, who is also a medical practitioner and owner of the Survival Hospital at Igbogene community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the Bayelsa, was arrested on Thursday.

The arrest was sequel to a complaint from the mother of the newborn baby.

It was gathered that Ms Nnenna Lawrence, the 24 years old mother of the newborn baby, had gone to the hospital at eight months into her pregnancy ‎and attempted abortion.

The doctor reportedly declined to perform the abortion due to the high risk,but he was alleged to have offered to buy the baby if delivered with an offer of N200,000 for a female baby and the sum of N250,000 if the baby is a male.

Our sources at the Bayelsa Police Command familiar with the case say that the doctor gave the expectant mother the sum of N27,000 as a commitment.

When the expectant mother delivered a baby boy she reportedly changed her mind and reneged to sell the baby as agreed.

She reportedly filed a complaint at the Igbogene Division ‎of the Police after the hospital refuse to release the newborn baby to her.

Mr Asinim Butswat, Spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, confirmed the development and said investigation is ongoing on the matter.

“On Thursday,at about 1000hrs, one Nnena Florence ‘f’ of Igbogene Community, reported to the Police, that she delivered a baby on the February 3, 2016, at Survival Hospital, Igbogene, Yenagoa.

“She stated that prior to the delivery, she had arranged with the Doctor and the Nurse of the hospital to sell the baby to one woman now at large, at the sum of two hundred thousand Naira only.

“But upon delivery of the baby, she changed her mind and refused to sell the baby as agreed,” Butswat said

The Police Spokesman said that the Doctor and the Nurse are undergoing interrogation at Igbogene Police Station.