NSCDC busts baby factory in Lagos, arrests two suspects

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, have busted a baby factory in Okuju, Ilado, Badagry area of Lagos State.

In the operation carried out on Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday, the operatives rescued 18 pregnant women and 10 children, and arrested the operators of the facility, Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu.

The victims were said to have subscribed to the facility via an offer on a Facebook platform. One of the rooms in the premises. Photo: Wale Akinselure

The pregnant women, upon delivery, had their children sold and were paid between N500,000 and N1.8 million.

The victims, aged between 18 and 30, were paraded at the NSCDC office, Badagry Division, Ibereko, on Friday.

Some of the pregnant women had come to the centre with children and infants also up for sale to willing buyers. Some of the women involved. Photo: Wale Akinselure

At the parade, the Commandant of the Lagos State NSCDC, Adedotun Keshinro, said operatives swooped on a building containing many rooms housing the victims following actionable intelligence that lasted three weeks.

Keshinro said, “They are operating a baby factory where victims are made pregnant. When the babies are delivered, they are sold.

“The suspects entice pregnant victims to come and negotiate with them that when they deliver the babies, the babies will be taken from them, and they will be paid off. Some of the women involved. Photo: Wale Akinselure

“When they deliver the babies, the babies are taken from them to be sold to customers, and the victims are paid off.”

One of the 18 victims rescued was said to have suffered a miscarriage.

“There are 18 victims who are fully pregnant, but one of them had a miscarriage. So, 17 of them are currently carrying pregnancies. And there are other babies there who are grown, and they are also here on negotiation to be sold to interested buyers,” Keshinro added.

Noting that the operators of the facility had committed a “grievous crime against humanity,” the NSCDC commandant said they would be handed over to the police for prosecution, while the victims would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

Among items retrieved at the facility were a pumping machine, a generator set, standing fans, gas cylinders, burners, cooking pots, phones, mats, toiletries, baby skincare products, tableware, and assorted food items.

On what becomes of the Badagry facility, Keshinro said, “We will hand over the place to the state government. The state government may decide to demolish the place so that they will not be able to continue to use it for that activity.”

Responding to questions from journalists, Okeke, the chief operator of the facility, said she arrived at the Badagry location in January from Ikorodu in search of a bigger apartment.

Okeke said she “adopted” children for those who do not have any.

She said, “We are adopting children to give to those who don’t have children. I have been doing this for some months. I moved here from Ikorodu in search of a bigger apartment. We were in Ikorodu before. We are two operating this place.”

She declined to state how much she sells a child or how clients access the facility, saying, “I can talk further when my lawyer is here. I don’t want to talk anymore.

“If you are interrogating me, my lawyer should be present.”

Speaking with PUNCH Online, some of the victims said they subscribed to the centre after negotiating online with the operator that they would surrender their babies upon delivery and be paid.

One of the women said the agreement reached was that she would be paid N1 million, while another said she was promised N1.8 million.

One, named Joy, said she opted for the facility because she got pregnant for an “irresponsible man.”

She said she previously had two children who are being cared for by her mother in the village.

The women claimed they were well fed daily, allowed to use their phones, and could request medical attention if unwell, but were not allowed to leave the facility at will.

One of the women further stated that part of the agreement was that they could leave before delivery, but would not receive any payment.

According to Raphael Agwu, who was arrested alongside the operator of the facility, the women come in pregnant and sign an agreement to deliver their babies for sale, after which they are paid.

Agwu said he believed the centre offered an alternative to women considering abortion and helped childless couples.

He said, “There are agents on online groups who propose that instead of aborting it, you can come to us, and we will take care of you. And when you deliver the child, we’ll take the baby for ourselves.

“There are groups for adoption, abortion and unwanted pregnancies on Facebook. These are open groups. These people post that they want to give up their child for adoption, and negotiation begins.

“They were already pregnant on their own and decided to give birth for adoption. So, in order for us to be safe, because of that agreement, they gave their consent and everything.”

Agwu, who claimed he works as a housekeeper, said the women are enticed to the facility because of the promise of at least N1 million per child.

“They came on their own. Some of them were referred to us by agents. Most of them came with their children. All those children you saw are people who came with their kids.

“Some childless couples come to us seeking to adopt children. I didn’t see it as a big crime because my thinking is they are helping some childless couples,” he said.

Asked about the daily routine at the facility, Agwu said, “They just eat, rest and take their routine medicine.

“Actually, most of them say they don’t want some of their boyfriends to know they are here, while some say they want their family members to know.

“But any of them who want their family members to come and see them, as long as there is nothing fishy, they are always allowed.

“They are coming because the money is good for them. They sometimes request N1 million per child.”

On his relationship with the operator, Agwu said, “I am the one who donates blood to her. If I were to go to jail now, I don’t think she would survive.

“I am just like a housekeeper. She is like family to me. She brought me to the house for us to live together. She accepted my child and me into her home. So, I help her with housework and stuff like that.”