Tension has enveloped Amaraku Market in the Isiala Mbano council area of Imo state, following the stealing of a seven-month-old baby by a suspected child traffic syndicate, last Friday.

It was gathered the incident caused pandemonium within the area as residents continued to assist in the search for the missing child.

An eyewitness, who is a trader but does not want her name mentioned, narrated the incident saying a suspected child trafficker targeted the crying baby wrapped on her mother’s back, while the mother was selling at her shop.

The suspect approached the woman and offered to assist her carry the crying baby. She even collected a wrapper from the mother of the child.

However, as the mother of the child was busy selling her wares, the suspected child trafficker disappeared with the baby.

According to the eyewitness, “I was buying some foodstuff at Amaraku Market when a woman started shouting, ‘My baby, my baby, where is my baby?’

“She had given her seven-month-old baby out to a stranger, while she was selling okro and other vegetables because the baby was crying and disturbing.

“The stranger carried the baby on her back but later disappeared into the crowd. When the woman realised the woman was no longer in sight, she started shouting and crying.

“Other traders around helped to search for the woman but could not find her. The woman may have been charmed by the stranger because no one in her right senses will release her baby in such an environment with over ten thousand buyers and sellers.

“What is she going to tell her husband?”

At the time of filing this story the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, was yet to respond to the inquiry. (Saturday Vanguard)

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