A couple from Oxford have been convicted of attempting to smuggle a Nigerian baby as their own, so they could take it back to the United Kingdom, following a joint Border Force and Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) investigation.
Gladys Effa-Heap, 52 and Simon Heap, 47, both of Wayneflete Road in Headington, flew into Nigeria in July 2010.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the Press Secretary, British High Commission, Abuja, Rob Fitzpatrick, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday.
The release further disclosed that they (the couple) later went to the British High Commission in Lagos, where they applied for a British passport for the baby girl, claiming Mrs Effa-Heap had given birth within days of them arriving in Nigeria.
“However, staff became suspicious and DNA tests later confirmed that neither of the adults was related to the child. A birth certificate they had presented was also found to be fake.They flew home without the baby,” it stated .
The release stressed that following an investigation, they were arrested and charged with facilitating a breach of immigration law.
It added that during a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday, April 16, the couple pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and suspended for 12 months and 250 hours of community service.
Meanwhile, Marc Owen, head of Border Force at Heathrow, was quoted as saying “this was a shocking case, where a couple attempted to pass someone else’s baby off as their own in an attempt to bring it to the UK.”
According to him, “thanks to the close cooperation of the Border Force, the Metropolitan Police and staff at the British High Commission, as they were stopped and we were able to bring them to justice.”
Similarly, detective inspector, Kate Bridger, who lead the investigation team, said “a child should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold.
“This couple attempted to circumvent the adoption system and deceive the authorities,” stressing that “system is in place to protect children and we will do all we can to bring to justice those who try and get round it in this kind of way,” said Bridger.
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