Friday 31 January 2014

Baby factory uncovered in Ondo, 21 suspects arrested

A Baby factory operated by one Mr and Mrs Abiodun Ogundeji has been uncovered in Ilu-Titun in Okitipupa council area of Ondo State by the state command of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.

At least 24 suspects were arrested in connection with the illegal establishment. Among those nabbed by the anti-trafficking detectives of the command include five pregnant women, five nursing mothers, five babies, two of which are less than a month old and eight men whose duty it was to impregnate the women.

The arrest of the proprietor of the baby factory, Mrs Happiness Ogundeji, was after several months of intelligence gathering and discreet surveillance by officials of the command. According to reports, the proprietor, Mrs Ogundeji had to relocate to Ondo State after she was arrested in Imo State for a similar offence.

Upon her arrest,she was said to have pretended that the baby factory was a natural healing home.


It was gathered that young girls between the ages of 19 and 25 were recruited into the home where some young men purposely work to impregnate them. Once a girl is pregnant, she is separated from those yet to be impregnated. After delivery, the girls are offered ridiculous amount, their babies taken from them and sold to rich men and women who pay millions of naira, depending on the sex of the baby. Twins are said to be the costliest as they go for N2.5 million.

It was further discovered that the proprietor is assisted in the factory by a Cameroonian.
The suspects were paraded before newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Akure, yesterday, by the state’s comptroller of NIS, Mr Musa Al-Hassan. Al-Hassan told newsmen that following a tip-off, the suspects were rounded up at their hideout by a combined team of his officers and military operatives. According to him, the suspects had earlier resisted arrest following which they reinforced to effect the arrest.

Meanwhile, all the suspects are to be transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP,  headquarters in Lagos after preliminary investigation by the officials of the command.

The house used for the illegal business had been sealed off by security operatives.

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