Bayelsa perm sec arrested for attempting to buy a baby

– Dr. Wisdom Sawyer, the permanent secretary in Bayelsa state, was arrested for allegedly attempting to buy a newborn baby

– Sawyer is also a medical practitioner and proprietor of Survival Hospital in Igbogene

– The newborn’s mother, Nnenna Lawrence, came to the hospital requesting for abortion

– Sawyer had declined to perform the abortion but allegedly offered to buy the child

Dr. Wisdom Sawyer, the permanent secretary in Bayelsa state, was arrested on Thursday, February 4, for allegedly attempting to buy a newborn baby for N200,000.

Dr. Sawyer, who is also a medical practitioner and proprietor of Survival Hospital in Igbogene, was apprehended by the police following a complaint by the newborn’s mother, Nnenna Lawrence.

A 24-year-old woman had reportedly gone to the hospital requesting an abortion. However, Dr. Sawyer had declined to perform the abortion due to the risks involved as the woman was 8-month-pregnant. But he had allegedly offered to buy the unborn child for N200,000 if she was a female or N250,000 if he was a male.

Speaking with Sahara Reporters, sources from the Bayelsa state police command said that Dr. Sawyer gave the mother N27,000 as a commitment if she agreed.  

When the woman delivered a boy she reportedly changed her mind and refused to sell the baby as it had been earlier agreed. Then, she is said to have gone to the Igbogene division ‎of the police after the hospital refused to release the newborn baby to her.

Confirming the incident, Asinim Butswat, the spokesman of the Bayelsa police command, stated:

“On Thursday, at about 10.00hrs, one Nnenna Lawrence of Igbogene community, reported to the police that she delivered a baby on the February 3, 2016 at Survival Hospital in Igbogene, Yenagoa. She stated that prior to the delivery, she had arranged with a doctor and a nurse to sell the baby to one woman, now at large, at the sum of two-hundred thousand naira.”

The spokesman added that the doctor and the nurse are currently undergoing interrogation at Igbogene police station.

A week ago, the Byaelsa state polce arrested a 28-year-old Enoch Oyikepreye for selling off her 3-month-old baby for N300,000.