The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Imo State Command, has dismantled a suspected baby factory operating at the World Bank axis in Owerri West Local Government Area, arresting the alleged operator, 52-year-old Tochukwu Ogaranya, and rescuing five newborns and five pregnant women.
Also arrested was 47-year-old Godwin Nnamdi, described as a cousin to Ogaranya and suspected business partner in the orphanage home’s operations.
The breakthrough followed intelligence from a pregnant teenager who fled the facility on March 14, 2026. Commandant Basil Igwebueze stated that one of his officers encountered the fleeing teenager, prompting immediate action. NSCDC operatives raided the orphanage, apprehending Ogaranya and rescuing the victims: five infants aged between one and two months, and five pregnant women aged 25 to 33 years.
Parading the suspects at the NSCDC headquarters in Owerri, Commandant Igwebueze described the operation as exposing a heinous crime hidden within society. He commended community members for providing the tip-off, stressing that without public assistance, the facility might have remained undetected.
“If the residents of the state had not assisted us with the necessary information, the command would not have uncovered such a criminal act,” Igwebueze said. He urged Imo residents and neighboring communities to report suspicious activities promptly, emphasizing the “see something, say something” principle to combat such crimes.
The commandant condemned an alleged attempt by Godwin Nnamdi to bribe NSCDC officers to suppress the case, vowing that no such inducement would deter enforcement.
In an interview at the scene, Ogaranya claimed her orphanage was legitimate and certified, presenting documents to support her assertion. She recounted how a 33-year-old woman, Chiamaka, arrived pregnant after fleeing an abusive situation in Ngwa, Abia State. Ogaranya said she had contacted police to pursue the man responsible for the pregnancy and was surprised when Chiamaka escaped by jumping the fence, only to be apprehended by local vigilantes.
Chiamaka, from Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, told reporters she was introduced to the orphanage by an unidentified person for safe delivery and baby care. Feeling overwhelmed and fearing for her safety, she fled through the fence in a bid to escape.
The NSCDC has handed the suspects over for further investigation, with the rescued babies and pregnant women receiving medical attention and support.
