Vigilant Air Peace crew members on Monday foiled an attempt by two women to traffic a three-month-old baby boy on its Lagos Banjul flight.
The incident which occurred on Monday according to investigation revealed that the suspected traffickers were exposed mid-flight when the airline’s crew members noticed a baby crying inconsolably.
It was gathered that attempts by one of the suspected traffickers, who claimed to be the baby’s mother, to soothe him failed.
When the crew members suggested to the suspected trafficker to breastfeed the baby, she declined.
Scared that the baby’s cries were attracting attention, the woman who claimed to be his mother requested for water from the crew.
The crew, however, noticed that the alleged mother was fumbling in giving the baby the water.
Suspicious that the baby was either stolen or being trafficked, it was gathered, the crew summoned the alleged traffickers to the back of the aircraft for questioning.
The alleged traffickers allegedly told the crew members that the baby was a child from a surrogacy arrangement.
Dissatisfied with the alleged mother’s response, the crew notified Air Peace team at the Banjul International Airport in The Gambia of the development.
When the flight landed in Banjul, Air Peace staff accosted the two alleged traffickers and when the two women were separately questioned, they gave conflicting accounts of how they came about the baby.
Air Peace staff in Banjul, it was gathered, quickly called for the intervention of Banjul International Airport (BIA) Police Station in The Gambia and the suspected traffickers were promptly arrested.
It was alleged that medical tests conducted by security operatives in Banjul showed no relationship between the baby and the woman who claimed to be his mother.
Information gathered show that the two women later claimed that the baby was being taken to his father in Banjul. The alleged father, it was gathered, told security operatives that the baby was his. He, however, could not provide documents at the police station in Banjul to prove his claim.
One of the women later allegedly claimed the baby was handed over to her by a distant relation who got pregnant for a man she could not identify.
The police in The Gambia are said to be still investigating the matter to secure enough evidence to charge the suspects to court. The baby it was learnt, had since been transferred to SOS Child Care Center in Bakothe in The Gambia for proper care pending conclusion of investigation.
Contacted for his comments on the development, Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah confirmed the incident.
He, however, refrained from confirming the names of the suspects and the baby. He insisted that the matter was already being investigated by relevant security agencies in Nigeria and The Gambia.
Mr. Iwarah pledged that the airline would cooperate with the relevant security agencies to unravel the true identity of the baby.
He assured that the airline and its crew would remain vigilant to ensure the safety of its guests as well as continue to assist society in exposing suspected criminal acts.
