You were arrested and detained by the police on allegations of running a baby factory and also being involved in child trafficking. What really happened?
It was on the third of August that I travelled and came back around 8pm and my daughter came in around 9pm. We had gone to bed but around 2am, we started hearing some noise, shooting and banging on the gate. Initially, we thought it was armed robbery attack, but finally some men forcefully gained entrance into the yard and started breaking all the doors to the rooms. They were in mufti, so we thought they were armed robbers. But when they were carrying all of us into the car, we thought they were kidnappers. When we got to the road, they stopped and said: ‘Madam, we are policemen from the anti-kidnap unit of Rivers police command.’ I said okay and asked what my business was with the anti-kidnapping unit. They said they heard I was a kidnapper and my house was being used as a hideout for kidnap victims. They said I should give them N100 million for them to release me that same night with my children. I started laughing because it was funny. Even if I were to be a governor or something and I had that kind of money, I don’t think I will keep N100 million in my house. So when I told them I didn’t have that kind of money, they said I was not serious. They took my kids and every human being they found in my compound and moved us to the police station. When we got there, they said: ‘Madam, are you ready to give us N50 million?’ I told them I had no such money and they said I was not serious. They kept the children and started torturing all of us. They kept going back to the house, looting and carrying everything they could lay their hands on. They took jeweleries, they took money and they took food stuff: three begs of rice, cartons of malt, wine; they took a lot of things. They took even yams. They took wedding pictures that were hung on the wall and destroyed a lot of things in the house. They were not going with me, so the only thing that made me know they were going to my house was, each time they returned, they did so with some of my properties. They will call me and ask if this was part of my property and I would say yes. They kept piling them in their station. Finally, on the evening of that day, my husband got to know where we were. My husband sent his brothers and they refused anybody seeing us. Finally, they told them to go and get N5 million for a start so that they could go and talk to the Commissioner of Police on my behalf. So, they rallied round and gave them N5 million. Meanwhile, the CP obviously knew nothing about what they were doing. After they got the money, they now asked me if I was willing to help myself and my children because they took even a little child of one year and eight months. They started torturing my nanny to accept that she was the one that gave birth to the twins and to my kids. They started torturing all the boys that they took. They arrested my drivers so they could accept that they were the ones impregnating the girls for me. But since the stories they were telling were strange to everybody, the drivers were saying: ‘We are not aware of what you’re talking about.’ They said okay and packed all of them and put into cell, including the pastors of our church. At the end of the day, they now met me and said: ‘Madam, if you’re ready and willing, we can release you so your children can go.’ I said I didn’t have that kind of money. By the time they came to the house, they took my cheque book and everything. So, they made me write a cheque for them in my name. They brought my Personal Assistant that was in detention and gave me their phone to call my accounts officer who I confirmed the cheque with and they went and picked the money and came back. We were now thinking, since they took N5 million from my husband’s people, they took about N11.5 million from my account, both my Access and First Bank accounts, if the worse comes to the worst, they should release us. What they did at the early hours of Monday morning was to release my children and all the other people they were holding and kept me back. They kept me back with a lady and the husband that came to see us on that day they took us. They kept three of us back and told the young man that if only he could accept that he came to sell a child to me for N350,000 to pay his house rent, they will release him. So, the young man, out of fear, said what they asked him to say. Meanwhile, they carried this same man’s Toyota Corolla car the same night they came. The question that came up was that if this man desperately had accommodation problem, why would he choose to sell a child, his own baby, instead of selling the car to pay for the house rent. This same man owns an estate, he owns two bedroom flats, six flats in Oyigbo and he also owns a house of his own. So, which of the house rents were they talking about? It was a strange set up. So, finally, on Monday morning, after releasing my kids and all the staff that they took, they told me that the CP wanted to see me at the headquarters. I was excited when I was told that CP wanted to see me at the headquarters. I believed that if I had the opportunity to talk to the CP, I would tell him my ordeals, at least he would step into it. But unknown to me, they lied. When we got to the station, they did not even give me the opportunity to see the CP. The next thing, immediately I stepped down from the van, I saw cameras flashing all over me and they started announcing: child trafficking agent, baby factory syndicate. There was no name they didn’t call me. That same day, the press asked me to talk and I told them I wasn’t ready to talk, but that I believed God was going to vindicate me. Finally, they brought me back and still kept me in their station from that day of the parade for another nine days, extorting money and asking if I had other places I kept money. I kept writing cheques and they kept coming back to ransack my house. They said they got information that I have a safe in my house where I keep money and that they got information that I have overseas partners that send money to me. They said I should call all of them to send money to me. I told them I had no money again and that I knew nothing about the foreign partners they were talking about. All the lawyers that came, they kept sending them away and didn’t allow anybody to have access to me. They kept torturing and beating me. There was no investigation as they claimed was made. All they did was beating me and asking me about money and that the CP had brought down the money to N50 million. They kept me in hand and leg chains from the day they arrested me to the day they took me to court. So, finally, after torture, my husband’s brother had to call a lawyer from Abuja that came in on Sunday and told them to charge the case to court. When he left, they told my husband’s people that if they would charge the case to court, they should bring another N20 million. They said the order they had was, go to the house, recover all the victims, shoot at sight and set the house ablaze. But that because of one thing or the other, they decided not to eliminate me or kill me. My husband’s people had to rally round to get another N2 million for them. On that Sunday, after much begging to either release me or take me to court, they took N2 million and on Monday morning, being 12th, they took me to court. Ask me the charge they gave… they said child stealing and conspiracy. The question now is: before you can say something is stolen, there must be an owner that comes out and says this belongs to me and it’s missing. But, in this case, there was no petition, there was no complainant. They said that they got a phone call that a child was delivered by 1am, stolen by 1.30am and they came by 2am to recover the child.
So, how did this whole thing start? I’m talking about allegations of child trafficking, allegations of baby factory. Where did it originate from?
I don’t know.
Is there no background to this? No previous cases bordering on the subject?
No. There are no previous cases that I know of.
How was the environment in the cell, besides the tortures you had gone through?
Oh God. (Laughs) Nigerian cell? You’re asking as if you’re not a Nigerian. Haven’t you been to a Nigerian cell before? (laughs) Oh, Nigerian cell, if it were to be other police cells, at least I used to see when I go to visit people in cell, in the women cell, you would see a mat on the floor. But in my own case, they made me sit down from the 3rd of August that they carried me, to the 12th of August that they released me. I sat on a chair with my legs chained and my hands chained to a window. That was how I sat. I slept sitting down, I ate sitting down and did everything sitting down.
Did they give you food?
They were not giving me food, but showed me a place we were buying food. But one of the days they stopped me from buying food and said they were going to give me food, but some good samaritan came and told me not to eat, that my food had been poisoned. So, I stayed three days without food.
When they were showing you on national television, the churches were also shown.
That is the issue. Throughout their ransacking and the arrest, they didn’t take me to the church. So, when I came out and heard that the church was dragged into it, that sounded crazy because if I was running a baby factory like they claimed, was the church also part of it? Did they recover any pregnant women there? Did they recover any child in the church? So, why would they drag the church into it? I think that is the more reason why God is paying them back in their own coin because it wasn’t all about me. If it was all about me, I don’t think they will drag the church into it. But for dragging the house of the Lord into it, that is why God is paying them back the way He is paying them. It wasn’t easy because the church was scattered. Some left the church, some stayed back and gathered themselves and fasted and prayed and we thank God.
You say you are a medical doctor….
Yes, and I am a fertility doctor. You know, every profession has its own challenges. You wouldn’t say you’ve not had issues, but I’ve not had issues that will warrant that stuff. But then, up till now I’ve not been able to fathom. Like I said, it’s all about money. Whosoever that staged it was eager about getting money because from beginning to the end, it was money, money, money. When a police officer is asking you for N100 million, what will he do with it? You haven’t started your investigation. You just arrested someone and along the road you cleared and said, give me N100 million and I’ll send all of you back home.
Throughout that period, what went on in your mind?
My major concern, the first time, wasn’t even me, it was my kids. I think the person that told them must have told them that I love my children so much that if they could get hold of my children, they have got me. That was exactly what they did. Let’s assume that it was a police investigation they were carrying out and claimed my children were not given birth to by me, but were kids I bought, or at first they said I kidnapped them, I don’t believe they would have treated them the way they treated them. My kids laid down on bare floor for three days. My twins, as at then were three years old. My last baby was one year and eight months. My two sons were 13 and 16 years. The kind of beating they gave to the 13 and 16 years old, hitting the butt of their gun on their head and telling them their mother was a criminal, was something else. My child of one year and eight months fed on garri and soup for three days. How mean could they be? Was that part of the investigation for child trafficking and baby factory? With all the things they did, you’ll know this is a planned set up. The only thing that was making me feel bad were my kids and that was why I didn’t relent in giving them the first N16.5 million cheque they cleared so that they could allow my children to go. And it was the day they allowed them to go that I breathed. At least they were no longer going through the pains and torture. They first day my children took their bath, they bathed with 18 tins of water inside SMA gold milk and they bathed with cold water. They refused giving them hot water. How mean and cruel could this be? I thank God today that they have gone back to their normal life.
We understand that the policemen that were involved in the raid have been arrested….
When I was released, we were supposed to travel to the US with the kids for a holiday on Sunday the 4th before this thing happened on the 3rd. I quickly flew out with them so they can ease off the torture and emotional trauma. Right there, I raised a petition and sent it through my lawyer via e-mail and two weeks later, he told me my petition had been granted and certified by the IG, but that they wanted me back. So, I had to fly back, but after the interview, they now assigned the matter to a body that could handle it, which is the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad. So they came down and went to the anti-kidnap unit, Rivers State and arrested them. They arrested Jivinus Iwu first, and then Supol Ibeh, leaving out Amadi because he claimed that the wife gave birth through CS. It was tough because they refused to go. The men now quickly went to CP who signed for them to pick him up and detain him. They took him to the state CID and detained him and the next morning took him to Abuja. One of the things that led me to write the petition was, not just what I passed through in their hands, that when they released me I went back to them, begging them to release my properties. They now said I should go and bring another N50 million before they would release them. They said they would release other things, but that I should forget the cars, that they were now government property. That, in fact, they were supposed to take over my house. While in detention, they were asking me of the documents to my house. That it was supposed to become part of government’s property and that Elelenwo Police Station should move into this place. So, when I found out that they were not done with their plans, I had to take my case to the appropriate quarters. That was what moved me to take my petition to Abuja. Finally, they were ordered to release my properties that they seized. When they got here in Port Harcourt, they discovered that all the things they carried were not registered in their exhibit book. That’s to tell you that it was pure robbery because they had made up their minds to convert my personal properties. The man now simply released the things he saw and discovered that, especially, the monies were not there, which was why they were running away from bringing the things to Abuja.
Where did the IG come in, in all these?
The petition I wrote was to the IG. When the men from Abuja came and found that the properties were not there, they had to report back to the IG, also informing him that the woman they said was quack, they had the original of her certificate and they were not found in the case file. They saw it in one of their drawers. They discovered that there was no search warrant in all they did and there was no warrant of arrest. On the money, they were not complete. Even the ones they agreed were in their exhibit book, when they released the cash, it was not complete. They accepted that they recovered N1.5 million in my house, but they could only release N450,000. They accepted that they recovered $7,000, but when they were releasing, they released $5,000. So, I had to write to IG again telling him that a lot of things were no longer there, especially my gold, my husband’s jewelries, my husband’s wrist watches and gold chains that they took, my own gold chains, the money, all were not complete. That was now where the IG said they should query the senior officers. They immediately removed them and transferred them from Rivers State and made them to go through trial, which is still on.
Is it because of the excitement that you’re pouring so many encomiums on the IG?
Yes, because when I wrote to the IG, he didn’t sweep it under the carpet. I didn’t know there are still police officers with conscience and those that know their work. The way the matter was handled, I didn’t know that today I will still be in Rivers State. I feel so excited. That’s why I praise and appreciate the IG and all the senior police officers that were involved in investigating this matter. I just want to say may the Lord bless them for unveiling the truth, because without them, the public had already believed what they heard. Without them, my image would not have been redeemed. Probably, even if I will be practicing, I’ll be practicing under fear. Without them also, who knows what these people would have come back to do tomorrow? If they did the first one and succeeded, they would have returned all the times they were broke. I am just thanking them for a job well done. They should keep it up. I was summoned to appear at the orderly room trial at the Force Headquarters to give evidence. Those who gave them the monies at every point were also summoned to appear and testify. The transparency of the trial is amazing. And I give kudos to the IG for what he is doing.
Away from all of this, how does it feel being a fertility doctor, dealing with cases of childlessness and all that?
I do tell people that it is not about the money. If it’s about the money, I’ll not be in this country. I got so many opportunities to work in one of the biggest hospitals in the world, which is the Centre for Alternative Medicines in the UK. That hospital is 150 years now. I have some doctor friends there. They have got job for me many times there. But because I feel our people here need help more than those people who have the best facilities, I turned them down. I feel like helping mankind. It’s all about joy and satisfaction. When you see a woman of 22 years in marriage, treated to become pregnant and finally has a baby, you feel excited about it because many homes were broken and battered. So many women were already outside, many going through frustration and all of a sudden joy returns, it excites. Some come looking very old, but by the time it is announced that they are pregnant, they look fresh and become younger. Even their husbands. I am just happy helping mankind and bringing joy back to homes.
What kind of treatment do you give them?
It will surprise you to know that some of call me their angel, some call me their helper. Others say after God, I am the next one they know. When they are showering these praises, I say: God I can’t take your glory. Some women have ovarian problems and need just a little correction. We give them normal treatment and it works. Some doctors walk up to me and say, what kind of treatment are you giving them that we have not given? When I was in detention, some came and said, yes, we’ve been hearing about you. Name the drugs you’ve been giving the women. One said, I have been a doctor for years and some patients who could not take in under me took in under you. What is the secret? Some will call me and ask what powers I am using because to them it is impossible. I want to now draw your attention to what we do in our clinic. Every Tuesday, before we start treating the women, we take them through prayers first. It will shock you to know that when I discover that some cases are spiritual cases, I go into fasting with them. We fast together with some for seven days. I go into midnight prayers with others in their houses. This is an aspect some people don’t know. We go as far as some other people’s villages for family deliverance. I bring out my time, take my prayer warriors to their village for deliverance and we come back and record successes. But some doctors feel that it’s all about injections and tablets. It goes beyond that. There’s a particular case I’m handling now. Her experience has been that the moment she is pregnant with boys, they die but girls would live. We just concluded her treatment and some spiritual activities and she had two boys two weeks ago. If I tell you what I went through, you won’t believe it. I took my time and we went to her village in Osun State for prayers. I once had an order to do 21 days of fasting for her. So, why won’t God answer her prayers? It is not about me or the drugs.
The observation is that sometimes IVS children come in multiples. Why is it so?
It is because while you’re trying to treat them for their ovaries to be fertile, you may work on many ovarian eggs at the same time. Sometimes, about three, four eggs are ready and are fertilised. Out of them, two might become successful.
How long have you practiced?
I have practiced for 14 years now, but my clinic is nine years old.
Some people’s pockets must be leaking to get this done….
Yes, because our medications are expensive, but at the end of the day we give God the glory and people are happy.
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