Nigerian authorities bust baby factory, rescue 28 victims

On April 15 and 16, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives raided a suspected baby factory in Lagos State's Badagry area, rescuing 28 victims — including 17 pregnant women and 10 children — and arresting two suspects.

Key Takeaways:

• The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps raided a baby factory earlier this month, rescuing 28 victims, including 17 pregnant women and 10 children.

• The women were allegedly recruited through a Facebook scheme, promising them money for their babies.

• They were living “in deplorable and unsanitary conditions."

• The newborns were auctioned to the highest bidder, typically under adoption scams.

• Two suspects were arrested.

The Details:

Babawale Afolabi, Assistant Commandant of Corps and the NSCDC's National Public Relations Officer, revealed the details of the operation in an April 18 statement via the agency's Facebook page. The NSCDC indicated that the raid was a culmination of “three weeks of continuous monitoring” that directed officers to a hidden site in the Okuju section of Ilado, Olorunda, Badagry.

Lagos State Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, said the victims consisted of “17 heavily pregnant women and 11 others, including children, infants, and an adult male.” He added that the victims were “allegedly recruited through a Facebook-based scheme targeting vulnerable pregnant women, with promises of financial compensation ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦1,000,000 after delivery.”

Additionally, Keshinro divulged that the victims were kept “in deplorable and unsanitary conditions,” elaborating that “one of the pregnant women reportedly lost her baby due to neglect and lack of proper medical attention.”

Authorities retrieved mobile phones, gas cylinders, a generator, cooking equipment, and various household items from the site where the illicit activities allegedly took place. 

The suspects and rescued individuals have been transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for ongoing probes and legal action. 

NSCDC Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi lauded the raid, calling it proof of the Corps’ enhanced intelligence-led policing approach and firm dedication to eradicating criminal syndicates across the country. Also, he reaffirmed the agency’s determination to step up partnerships with other agencies and leverage advanced technology to fight human trafficking and associated offenses.

To boot, the NSCDC called on the public to stay alert, particularly to online job offers and recruitment tactics aimed at those in need, and encouraged people to “check any dubious propositions thoroughly while directing questionable behavior immediately to the closest security outpost."

The Bottom Line:

Nigeria reports dozens of such busts yearly. These sites perversely promote pregnancies for profit and ignore the intrinsic worth and rights of children and their mothers.