Nigerian Civil Defense Agency Dismantles a Baby Factory in Lagos
NIGERIA – The Nigerian civil defense agency on Friday announced that it had dismantled an alleged baby factory in Lagos, rescued dozens of victims and arrested 2 suspects.
The operation, carried out late Wednesday into early Thursday by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the Badagry area of Lagos State, led to the rescue of 18 pregnant women and 10 children.
Authorities said the victims, aged between 18 and 30, had been recruited through offers circulated on Facebook, with promises of financial compensation.
According to the Lagos State NSCDC commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, the facility’s operators allegedly arranged for women to give birth and then sold the newborns.
“They are operating a baby factory where victims are made pregnant. When the babies are delivered, they are sold,” Keshinro told reporters.
He said the women were promised payments ranging from 500,000 naira to 1.8 million naira ($300 to $1,100).
Two suspects, identified as Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu, were arrested at the site in Okuju, Ilado.
Keshinro said one of the rescued women had suffered a miscarriage, while 17 are pregnant. Some of the victims were also found with infants already being prepared for sale, he added.
Describing the operation as the result of three weeks of intelligence gathering, Keshinro called the case a “grievous crime against humanity.”
He said the suspects would be handed over to police for prosecution, while the victims would be transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for care and rehabilitation.
Items recovered from the facility included generators, gas cylinders, baby care products, phones and food supplies.
One of the suspects claimed the operation involved arranging adoptions, but declined to provide details without legal representation.
