General Overseer in police net for sellingunborn baby

The female General Overseer of a church,
Prophetess Kanu and members of her
syndicate are now in police net for
attempting to buy a baby yet to be born.
Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery
Squad (SARS) of the Anambra State
Police Command apprehended Kanu and
her accomplices.
Anambra State Commissioner of Police,
Mr. Hassan Karma alleged that the
prophetess had for long deceived people
through the use of charms, while
pretending to counsel individuals beset by
problems.
Her world of deceit began to unravel when
22-year-old old Happiness John, whose
pregnancy had reached nine months was
deceitfully taken by her friend, Chioma
Okonkwo, to the prophetess on September
30, 2014 for counseling.
The fake prophetess told John that she
had a spiritual problem. Recalling that
visit, she said: “Chioma Okonkwo and
myself were friends and neighbours.
Chioma took me to Prophetess Kanu for
counseling and it was there that she told
me that I was under spiritual attack. She
prayed for me and later rubbed an egg on
my body with palm oil, saying that it was
a protection against enemy attack.”
Prophetess Grace was further alleged to
have informed the victim that her younger
brother (the prophetess’) would assist
John, since no man had owned up to be
responsible for the pregnancy. Based on
what seemed like a good intent, the
prophetess took the victim to her village
at Ngboro in Abia State, where she spent
weeks in the village believing that she
would deliver the baby there.
Meanwhile, the suspect sent her brother,
Kanu to check on the victim and promise
marriage to her, despite the nine-month
pregnancy. As part of the elaborate plan
to deceive the victim, Kanu bought clothes
for her and also gave her N5000.
With the stage set, the prophetess took
John to meet a nurse and member of her
child-trafficking syndicate, Ifeoma Obiora,
who took medical care of John. The
victim’s phone was taken away so that
she would not be able to communicate
with her relations.
As Sunday Sun gathered from the police
boss, the nurse always locked up John in
the house whenever she had to go out.
But providence stepped in and the scale
fell from the eyes of the victim, when the
prophetess mentioned that if she
delievered a baby boy, she would be paid
N180,000. That was when she realized
what was the real intention of the
prophetess. By then, John had been taken
for an ultrasound scan at New Hope
Hospital Onitsha.
According to Karma, an argument ensued
at the hospital and the victim demanded
for her phone while the Prophetess seized
her bag and alleged she must pay a debt
of N65,000 allegedly owed by her being
the cost of caring for her.
As this turn of events, the victim quickly
called her father, Mr Ugbanu John on
November 28, 2014, who promptly
reported the case at the SARS office.
Acting with dispatch, Karma ordered the
Commander of SARS, Mr. James Nwafor
to take up the matter. This led to the
arrest of the three suspects, namely,
Chioma Okonkwo, Prophetess Grace
Kanu and Ifeoma Obiora,on November
30, 2014 at Ugudegbe street, Owerri, Imo
State, Akokwa Awada Obosi and No 24
Nwaziki street, Awada Obosi, both in
Anambra State. Commenting on the
incident, the father of the victim said: “My
daughter left my house on September 30,
2014 and I saw her when she was leaving
around 5.00am. She said she was follow­
ing somebody to their church. It was
Chioma who took her to their prophetess,
Grace Kanu.
We didn’t see her. I thought she had run
to meet her boyfriend, who impregnated
her . It was on November 28, 2014 that
she called me that we should come and
rescue her. She told me that it was what
the prophetess said when she wanted to
deliver that led to the crisis. That
prompted me to report the case at SARS
office.” Karma said that the three
suspects would soon be charged to court.