THE Cross River State command of Nigeria Immigration Service has arrested a Cameroonian couple (names withheld by the command) with a two-week-old baby boy suspected to have been stolen.

The couple alleged that the baby was sold to them by an unidentified child trafficker in the south western part of Nigeria.

The state Comptroller of Immigration, Mrs. Funke Adeuyi, disclosed in Calabar on Saturday that the suspects were arrested on August 10 at the Nfum Control Post in Etung Local Government Area of the state by a border patrol team.

Adeuyi said the suspects were arrested after the first line interrogation showed that their surnames did not tally.

Adeuyi said, “After searching their travelling documents, we found out that their surnames did not tally. They also claimed to have been married for 15 years. This gave us room for suspicion and further investigation.

“Our next line of action is to hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for further investigation into the matter.”

The state comptroller said that the order for the parade of the suspects was given by the Comptroller-General of NIS, Mr. Mohammed Babandede.

When interrogated, the female suspect insisted the baby was hers.