Police in Ibadan, Oyo State, have arrested a man for allegedly selling his one-day old granddaughter for N700,000.
The Police said the suspect was arrested in his hideout in Ibafo area of Ogun State following credible intelligence report.
Parading the suspect on Friday at the police Headquaters, Eleyele, Ibadan, Spokesman of the Command, Adewale Osifeso said ; “On 10th July, 2023, an actionable intelligence report was received by a team of Police Operatives attached to the Command Monitoring, Oyo State about the ‘’harvesting of a day-old baby girl’’ from her teenage mother identified as Sarah Chukwuka in Oyo town and sale of the girl child to a criminal cartel that operates a baby factory in Abia State.”
Osifeso stated that upon intelligence-led interview, Monday, father of the teenage girl who gave birth to the day-old baby girl, confessed to the crime and explained in detail how he took the baby from her mother as soon as she gave birth under the pretext of handing over the baby to someone who would take good care of her.
“The suspect further explained in details, how he moved the day old baby to Abia State where he sold her to the owner of a baby factory located at Obehi, Okwa West in Abia State at the rate of sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N700,000.00).
“Investigation activity was extended to Abia State and in the process of a coordinated raid on the baby factory, a female suspect identified as Popoola Bunmi and four other accomplices whose names are Chinwedu Peter, Chidinma Blessing, Chuckwu Christopher, and Favour Chukwu were all apprehended in connection with the criminal activity.”
The Police spokesman said bundle of new birth certificates and some equipment for baby delivery were recovered from the factory.
He said that the suspects as at the time of apprehension were unable to give any satisfactory explanation about the parentage of the babies recovered from the factory.
The suspect (Monday) said he decided to sell the baby because he cannot afford to take care of his teenage daughter and the baby.
Monday said he used part of the money he collected to rent a shop and buy materials for sale.
The teenage mother (Sarah) said she was not aware that her father wanted to sell the baby.
She said that her dad only told her that he wanted to give the baby to someone who can nurture and return the baby after two years.
The suspected buyer of the baby, Favor Chukwuka, said she bought the baby following request from a childless couple (name withheld), saying she was giving N50,000 as her share for the job. (The Nation/vitalnewsngr.com)