The Abia State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a man, identified simply as Uchenna, from Owerri- Aba, for allegedly stealing a four month- old baby boy, who he gave to his girlfriend, Kelechi Uche, to sell.

The state Police Commissioner, Joshak Habila, who paraded Uche in Umuahia, said she was arrested by some members of the public at Osusu Aku, where she went to look for buyers.

According to the police boss, Uchenna and four other suspects, still at large, stole the boy at gunpoint on August 21, at Ntigha Uzo in the Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.

He added that Uchenna later handed over the baby to his lover to sell.

Habila explained that Kelechi drew the suspicion of some members of the public on August 26 when the baby started crying uncontrollably, but she could not breastfeed him.

The CP said she was nabbed by the curious members of the public following her incoherent and unsatisfactory answer when she was asked if she was the biological mother of the baby.

“She was immediately arrested and handed over to the police at Ugwunagbo division,” the CP added.

He added that upon interrogation, the suspect said the child was stolen by her boyfriend, Uchenna, and four others and given to her to sell.

The CP said the suspect also explained that the baby was first kept in the house of one Love Chinkata , also on the run, before she collected him to sell.

Habila said efforts were on to trace the biological parents of the baby and to also apprehend other fleeing suspects in connection with the crime.

The police also paraded three suspected robbers ─ Emeka Mbulo, 30; John Promise, 20; and Osinachi Iroka, 22.

According to the police, the suspects were arrested during a raid by detectives at Mbulo’s house following a tip-off that they were plotting a robbery operation.

The police said two locally-made pistols, N46,000 , three machetes, and a hammer were recovered from the suspects.

The suspects, however, denied the allegation.