By Chid Nkwopara
Imo State Police Command, yesterday, arraigned the
seven miracle births alleged mother, Mrs. Precious Ogbonna, at an Owerri Chief Magistrate Court
and charged her for child trafficking.
Charged along with her, in suit number OW/289C/2011
for the same offence, was 30-year-old Adangozi Onuigwe.
The charges against the suspects read: "That you
Precious Ogbonna, Adangozi Onuigwe and others now at large, between the 6th day
of May 2010 and 2nd day of April 2011, at Umuelele, Irete, Owerri, in Owerri
Magisterial District, did conspire with one another to commit felony to wit:
trafficking in persons and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section
516 of the Criminal Code Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as
applicable in Imo State."
The two female suspects were equally accused of
intending to deprive the parents, guardians or other persons, who had the
lawful care or charge of the seven children.
The two women were accused of taking possession of
the said children forcibly or fraudulently take or entice away or receive or
harbour the children, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section
19(1)(c) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and
Administration Act, 2003, as applicable in Imo State.
The women entered a plea of not guilty after the
charges were read to them and the Chief Magistrate ordered that they be
remanded in Federal Prisons, Owerri.
Before the case was adjourned to August 17, 2011 the
Chief Magistrate equally ordered that the case file and its notices be
forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution through the Chief Registrar.
Vanguard recalls that Imo State Police Command had earlier
mustered "a team of sound medical doctors from the Federal Medical Centre,
Owerri, to probe Mrs. Ogbonna's alleged medical feat" and several tests
had been conducted on the woman, her husband and the seven children."
An impeccable source in the Command told Vanguard
that from the tests so far conducted, there was no proof of a recent pregnancy,
adding that the woman was not also pregnant at present.
"Tests have shown that she has a large fibroid
in her womb. Her virginal hymen is still copious. It is not possible that she
given birth to that number of children with the hymen remaining the way it
is," the police officer said.
The officer disclosed that the blood group, Rhesus
Factor and genotype of Mrs. Ogbonna and her husband were "O", D+ and
AA respectively.
"These were not found in four of the children.
Medical evidence does not support her claims. Police was not shown were she
delivered the babies and there is no proof that she has ever breast fed any
baby before," the police officer concluded.
The story about the woman and her seven babies came
to light when Vanguard published an interview on the alleged medical feat and
has followed the story as events unfolded.
To also establish the maternity of the children,
Vanguard management offered to conduct a DNA test on the woman and children,
and the samples were taken last Monday in Owerri for medical analysis and it is
expected that the result would be ready in about two weeks.
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