Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Operatives of Ogun Police Command, on Tuesday, busted a baby factory at Ofada, Mowe, Obafemi-Owode LGA and rescued 10 captives including pregnant mothers and kids.
The operator of the factory, Mrs Florence Ogbonna, reportedly fled but her daughter and a physically challenged man were arrested.
The physically challenged man was allegedly responsible for impregnating the young girls and after delivery their babies were sold by Mrs Ogbonna.
The woman, now on the run, who was arrested for similar offence, is standing trial for human trafficking.
The young expectant mothers, aged 18 to 24 years, were transported from Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states with a promise of securing employment for them but later lured into the illicit trade.
Speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, the spokesman of the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the fleeing operator of the baby factory was under court bail but decided to return to her “usual business.”
Oyeyemi said the command had launched a manhunt for the woman with a view to bringing her to justice.
According to him, one of the victims who had resisted the plan to put her baby for sale, escaped and reported the illicit trade to the police.
He said families of the victims would be contacted to reunite them.
Speaking with newsmen, one the victims, Chindera Onuoha, said she reported to the police after the fleeing woman wanted to sell her baby.
When asked how much a baby cost, she said: “If the baby is a boy, they sell it for N250,000. If it’s a girl, it is N200,000.”
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