Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State has jailed a 22-year-old woman, Blessing Okon Etim, for stealing and selling a baby

A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State has jailed a 22-year-old woman, Blessing Okon Etim, for stealing and selling a baby. 

The convict was charged with one count under the provisions of Section 21 of TIPEA Act, 2015.

Delivering her judgement on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, Hon. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu found the defendant guilty as charged and sentenced her to 5 years imprisonment or option of two million Naira.

The court further held that should the five months old baby sold to the unknown buyer be found, the sentence shall be reduced to 3 years or option of two million Naira.

Okon-Etim was arrested by operatives of the Cross River State Police Command on October 2021.

The convict, who confessed to having sold her three-month-old baby for N150, 000, also confessed to have sold the newborn belonging to her mistress, the crime for which she is arrested.

It was gathered that the mother of the newborn stolen and sold by Okon-Etim died after delivery.

Okon-Etim was asked by her mistress, who was in the custody of the newborn, to take the baby to a relative, rather she got in contact with a middle man, who helped in selling the child to someone in Umuahia, Abia State, at N150, 000.

The same middleman also reportedly helped in selling Okon-Etim’s three-month-old child.