Adeola Adebayo, a 50-year-old and Binta Adebayo 40 years of age have been apprehended by the Lagos State Police Command in Treasure Palace Close, in the Igando area of the state, for allegedly harboring pregnant women and selling newborn babies on Sunday.
They were arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the command.
Three women from 19 to 27, Favour Osikwemeh, 19 Precious Emmanuel, 27 and Onome Oputi a 25-year-old were freed during the raid and were heavily pregnant.
Police learnt that the couple had been selling babies and were planning to do exactly the same thing with the three women.
Osikweme, who is seven-month pregnant, claims that her friend, Lepa, took her to Binta in December 2017 to stay with the woman until she was put to bed. However, her friend did not tell her about the plan to sell her baby when it was born.
“I was not told it is a baby factory. I was staying with my friend called Lepa. She told me that her apartment was too small and she took me to the woman’s house to give birth to my child.
I have been with the woman since December 2017. She (Binta)told my mum that I was working for her, but we didn’t negotiate payment for my child.” Osikweme said.
Another of the ladies Emmanuel said she was pregnant for a foreigner, and admitted that her sister had introduced her to the couple.
“My sister took me to the woman after I was impregnated by a foreigner. The woman then promised to settle me as soon as I am delivered of my baby.”
Adeola told police on Tuesday whilst he was being paraded that he did not know his wife ran a factory selling babies because they were not living together.
“The police arrested us for running a baby factory, but I don’t know anything about it. I was arrested in front of my house. The police interrogated the pregnant women who told them that I didn’t know anything about it.”
Binta his wife, who said her name was also Nene Okoro, told police the pregnant women worked in a shop where she sold drinks wholesale.
“I am not running any baby factory. I have never sold any baby. Two of the three women only helped me with my business. They help me sell drinks at the shop. They don’t stay with me.
The other woman (Oputi) is my daughter-in-law, and she has been living with me for over four years. She is my son’s wife who is now in Cameroon and she has two children for him. If I sold babies, how come I didn’t sell my two grandchildren?”
Edgal Imohimi the state Commissioner of Police, stated that the couple sold children without their mothers’ consent, adding that they would be passed on to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for prosecution.
“They harbored young pregnant ladies until they are delivered of their babies. Afterwards, these babies are taken from them and sold without the consent of the young mothers.
During the raid, three young women were rescued. They are Favour Osikwemeh, 19, (seven months pregnant), Precious Emmanuel, 27, (seven months pregnant), and Onome Oputi, 25, (nine months pregnant).
The victims will be handed over to NAPTIP for care, while the couple will be prosecuted.”