Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Lagos State Command, have uncovered a baby factory in Okuju, Ilado, Badagry area of Lagos.
In the operation executed out on Wednesday night, the operatives rescued 18 pregnant women and 10 children.
Following the arrest, officials also arrested the operators of the facility, Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu.
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Sources say that the victims were lured to subscribe to the facility with monetary offers from Facebook. Pregnant women, upon delivery, have their children sold and are compensated between N500,000 to N1.8m.
Keshinro said, “They are operating a baby factory where victims are made pregnant. When the babies are delivered, they are sold.
Officials subsequently paraded most of the victims, aged between 18 to 30, at the NSCDC office in Badagry division, Ibereko, on Friday.
Meanwhile, some of the pregnant women had come to the baby factory with infants also up for sale to interested buyers.
Grievous crime against humanity
Adedotun Keshinro, Commandant, Lagos State, NSCDC, said that after three weeks of actionable intelligence, its officers raided the premises with many rooms housing the victims.
He further stated that the facility’s operators will be turned over to the police for prosecution, noting that they had committed a “grievous crime against humanity.”
However, Okeke, the chief operator of the baby factory facility claims that she adopted children for those who do not have any.
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Similarly, Agwu, the second operator claimed that he believed the centre offered an alternative to women considering aborting their pregnancies.
He said, “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.”
Additionally, NSCDC commandant also that the victims would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking.
Items retrieved at the facility include; a pumping machine, generator, standing fans, gas cylinders, burner, pots, phones, mats, toiletries etc.
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