Cross River Security Agency Busts Baby Trafficking Ring, Rescues Newborn in Akpabuyo

(The suspects. Photo Credit: naijapodnews1)

Operatives of the Cross River State Homeland Safety & Security Agency (HSSA) have successfully dismantled a suspected child tr@fficking ring operating within the Akpabuyo Local Government Area, leading to the rescue of a newborn infant.

The breakthrough occurred following reliable intelligence that guided a team led by Comrade Eyo, the HSSA Akpabuyo Unit Commander.

On June 24, 2026, the team intercepted a commercial taxi at the Maternity Junction in Akpabuyo LGA.

Inside the vehicle, three women, Mrs Mary Solomon, 42, Patience Akumuruk, 46, and Juliet Efut, 43, were discovered with a newborn baby carefully wrapped in a shawl.

During initial questioning, the suspects claimed they were transporting the baby to Obubra. Mrs Solomon, identified as the primary suspect, told operatives that she had travelled from Obubra to Akpabuyo to give birth, stating that the delivery took place at a private facility in Akwa Ikot Effanga.

Further investigations conducted on the same day led to the apprehension of Umoh Effiong Edet, also known as Glory, who managed the delivery home in question.

Under interrogation, Edet reportedly confessed that the baby had been delivered by a young girl who was unable to care for the child. Edet allegedly detailed an elaborate operation referred to as “implanting,” a scheme designed to make clients such as Mrs Solomon appear pregnant for up to a year.

The process involved inducing noticeable physical changes, including abdominal swelling, to mislead spouses, family members and neighbours into believing the client was genuinely expecting.

A senior HSSA source involved in the case explained the mechanics of the scheme, disclosing that during this period, the real mother is housed secretly, and that once she delivers, the baby is handed over to the client for a fee, while the public is left to believe the birth was legitimate.

The four individuals, Mary Solomon, Patience Akumuruk, Juliet Efut, and Umoh Effiong Edet, the delivery home operator, have since been transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) through its Operation Okwok office in Calabar, which will now handle further investigation and potential prosecution.

HSSA confirmed that additional arrests have been made since the June 24 operation, as the probe expands into what appears to be a larger network preying on vulnerable young mothers.

Efforts are ongoing to identify the biological mother of the rescued infant and other potential victims.

Chief Michael Orok Nsan, DG South for HSSA, commented on the operation on Wednesday, July 1, commending the Akpabuyo unit’s prompt action.

He described the operation as underscoring the agency’s mandate to protect the most vulnerable, stressing that homeland security is not just about borders and forests but about defending human lives within communities.

He commended Comrade Eyo and his team, and urged citizens to continue making use of the agency’s tip-off channels, reaffirming its commitment to community safety.