The Oyo State Police Command has apprehended one ‘Monday Chukwuka’ who allegedly sold 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 a credible intelligence report.
Speaking while parading the suspect at the Command Headquaters, Eleyele, Ibadan, the 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.
Osifeso said: “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, Ukwa 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 deliveries were recovered from the factory, adding 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 sold the baby because he can not afford to take care of his tenage daughter and the baby, saying he used the money he collected after selling the baby to rented a shop and buy good in it.
The teenage mother (Sarah) said she was not aware that her father wanted to sold the baby, adding that her dad only told her that he wanted to give the baby to someone to nurturing 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.
Other suspects arrested by the Command include armed robbers, secret cult members with dangerous weapons, hoodlums who specialised in stealing cars, and notorious criminal receivers among others
