It has been revealed that illegal sales of newly born babies have continued to boom in the country, with boys costing as much as N500, 000 apiece.
On the other hand, female babies are sold for about N300, 000.
This revelation emerged yesterday after the Lagos State Police Command rescued 19 pregnant girls and four kids allegedly abducted by child traffickers.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in a statement issued by its DSP Bala Elkana, named two suspects, Happiness Ukwuoma, 40, and Sherifat Ipeya, 54 have been arrested in connection with the deal.
A manhunt is on to rein in one Madam Oluchi, a principal suspect and mother of five and believed to hail from Mbano in Imo State.
Elkanah said the 21 alleged victims – 19 pregnant girls and four children – were rescued from locations in Ikotun area of Lagos State, by the policemen from the Isheri-Osun Police Station
“The victims were mostly abducted by the suspects from different states and brought to Lagos and turned into baby factories by getting them pregnant only to sell off the babies to potential buyers.
“The girls were tricked and recruited from different areas and brought to work as domestic staff while the babies they gave birth to are usyally sold for between N300,000 and N500,000 depending on their sexes.
“Boys usually are sold for N500,000 each and girls are sold for N300,000 each,” he said.
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“The command is working with other agencies and stakeholders in rehabilitating and resettling the pregnant girls and the babies, while investigation is ongoing and the suspects will be charged to court,“
regnant girls, who were between the ages of 15 and 28 were alleged trafficked from Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Abia and Imo States to Lagos State.
A report from the News Agency of Nigeria quotes the police as adding that the suspects who were natives of Imo and Epe in Lagos State did not have any formal medical training but were allegedly operating as nurses.
Elkana said that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu, had visited the locations and ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department to take over the case.
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