By FRANCINA PHIRI –
A TEENAGE mother of Mansa is under arrest along with her brother and a female traditional healer for selling her one-month-old baby to the sangoma for K1,500 and a mobile phone as top-up.
Police have arrested the 16-year-old mother, identified as Silvia Lawrence of Chamalawa Village, her brother Mulenga Lawrence and the traditional healer, Abigail Chama, 25, for human trafficking.
Luapula Province Police Chief Elias Chushi confirmed the development yesterday.
“Police in Mansa received a report of human trafficking from a concerned member of the public to the effect that there were people planning to sell a baby in Namwandwe area,” he said.
Mr Chushi said when Police rushed to the scene, it was discovered that Silvia had sold her biological daughter Catherine Mweni, to the traditional healer of the same area, with the help of her brother, Mulenga, at a price of K1,500.
“In the interim, she was paid K1,100 and an Itel phone. The two suspects were apprehended in Namwandwe area, as they planned to go to Mupita Village, along the Tuta Road, where they came from, to deceive their relatives that the child had passed away while in Mansa,” he added.
The trio were in Police custody.
