WHEN news of 19 pregnant girls between ages of 15 to 28 were rescued and arrest of two baby factory operators broke in Ikotun area of Lagos few weeks ago, the Nigerian news sphere went into frenzy with the mind bugling revelations that came with the rescue. Four kids were also rescued. They were recovered from four different locations. Although it was not the first time the clamping down on baby factory opeators or arrest of baby factory operators has been made in this part of Lagos. In February 2018, a couple Adeola and Binta Adebayo who operated a baby factory were arrested at their residence, no. 1, Treasure Palace Close, off Hand of Fair Bus Stop, Ikotun-Igando Road. The suspects usually harboured young pregnant women at their residence. However, it is obviously the first time a huge number of pregnant girls used sole for the purpose of baby factory
where rescued at the same time within a locality. Behind these massive rescue operations is the Divisional Police Officer Isheri Osun division, CSP Chike Ibe, who not only acted on a tip off from a concerned member of the public but also ensured that no stone was left on turned to ensure that those behind the trade were apprehended and brought to book.
Some of the locations where these rescue operations were carried out by the police include: 14 Adisa Street Ayanwale area Ikotun Lagos, suspected to be used for child trafficking, 32, Owosho Street, Governor Road, Ikotun ; 29, Olugbeyohun Street, Olakunle Bus Stop Abaranje, 4/6, Anomo Street, Abaranje and 13, Hassan Adesola street. However, what has become more worrisome is the fact that over the years, Ikotun area of Lagos seems like a perfect location to run a baby factory as most of the baby factory related arrest and rescues have been connected to Ikotun and its environs. The topography of the area and the quiet serenity put the area off the radar of misgiving that can easily sell it out.
This explains why these shady activities could take place in a particular neighbourhood without residents having an idea that such things were happening in their community. When Community Bell visited some of the locations where the baby factory was taking place, residents in the area had no idea that such activities were going on in their community. According to a landlord (names withheld) at Hassan Adesola street who spoke to Community Bell, “this particular apartment was rented five months ago by one woman. Unfortunately they don’t interact with people in the community. They isolate themselves inside. We only see them when they drive in or out. If you knock on their gate they won’t open, they will only open the pigeon hole and speak to you. They were indeed very secretive because they knew they were involved in a shady business. The building is fenced with a high gate. Can you believe for five months they were operating here in our community and we didn’t know what was happening?”
Community Bell gathered that most times the gate was locked from outside to deceitfully make people think the occupants had gone out. Explaining further, another resident who gave her name as Irene Adedayo said it was actually the owner of the house that came to the house unannounced few weeks ago and discovered that her property had been converted into a baby factory where pregnant young girls were housed till they delivered. “On the day the landlady visited the house in the company of her daughter, she kept knocking at the gate because she noticed human movements even when the gates were locked from outside as usual. After about 30 minutes of knocking they finally opened the gate and she entered and lo and behold her house had become a procreation field.” It was gathered that while inside the compound, the landlady refused to raise alarm for fear of being murdered. It was until she came outside that she called the agent who is in charge of taking care of the building to notify him of her discovery. Also she called to verifiy activities within her property and threatened to report to the appropriate authorities.
“It was the landlady who sent a message to the authorities on the activities of her occupants. Rattle by the discovery it was that same night that they moved all the pregnant girls out to another location”. Community Bell’s investigation further revealed that some of the young girls caught in the web of baby factory had no prior knowledge of what they were getting themselves into till the last minute while others who did, agreed to be part of the deal as they felt they had little or no alternative with the burden of an unwanted pregnancy. Others were brought to Lagos under the guises of helping them secure employment. This was exactly the case of one of the girls, Favour Osikwemeh, who was recently rescued from a baby factory in Ikotun.
Recounting the events that led her into the house, 19-year-old Osikwemeh who is currently six months pregnant, revealed that one of her friends simply identified as Lepa, introduced her to the place. Osikwemeh noted: “I was staying with my friend Lepa when she told me that her place is too small and offered to take me to a more comfortable place where I will be delivered of my baby. Initially, they didn’t tell me it was a baby factory. I started living in the house since December last year. The woman who owns the house told my mum that I am working with her but we didn’t negotiate about payment for my baby.”
Another girl, Precious Emmanuel who was seven months pregnant, explained that she was worried after getting pregnant for a foreigner. “In the depth of my hopelessness my sister introduced to the baby factory operator. “When I met the woman operating the place, she promised to settle me as soon as I was delivered of my baby,” she added. In a similar development, another set of pregnant girls have been found by policemen attached to the Isolo Police Division. The seven victims allegedly escaped from another baby factory in the Isolo area of the state and were fleeing when the attention of the police was drawn to them.
Community Bells learnt that the girls, aged between 13 and 27, fled from the hideout after they discovered that their babies would be sold. Stranded and lost, they loitered around the Cele bus stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway before the Isolo Divisional Police Officer CSP Folorunsho Gabriel, led a team to the area and took them into custody. Although the police arrested two female suspects Happiness Ukwuoma and Sherifat Ipeya in connection to the operation of the Ikotun baby factory, the principal suspect, identified as Madam Oluchi is currently at large. The two suspects, Happiness Ukwuoma (40) and Sherifat Ipeya (54) who have no formal education acted as nurses to the expectant girls. Confirming the rescue operations, the Spokesperson Lagos State police command DSP Bala Elkana said the pregnant women were brought from Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Abia and Imo States with the promises of helping them get a job and then afterwards converted into sex workers.
Bala explained that preliminary investigation shows that the young women were mostly abducted by the suspects for the purpose of getting them pregnant and selling their babies to potential buyers. The girls were tricked with employment as domestic staff in Lagos. The Babies are sold between N300, 000 and N500, 000 depending on the sex. Boys are sold for N500, 000 and girls for N300, 000. He added that the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu, visited the scene and ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department to take over the case. The Command is working with other Agencies and stakeholders in rehabilitating and resettling the pregnant girls and the Babies.
