Four people, including a medical doctor, a traditional birth attendant and the parents of a newborn baby, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command over the alleged sale of a baby for N2.5 million.
According to police sources, the 28-year-old mother and her boyfriend allegedly decided before the birth that they did not want to keep the child and began searching for people who could facilitate the sale of the baby. The couple was reportedly connected to a prospective buyer in Ikorodu through intermediaries.
The pregnant woman was initially taken to a traditional birth attendant for delivery, but complications during labour forced her transfer to a private hospital in Ikorodu, where a medical doctor successfully carried out a Caesarean section, saving both mother and child.
Police investigations revealed that arrangements for the sale of the newborn were finalised shortly after delivery within the hospital premises, and the baby was allegedly handed over to an unidentified buyer for N2.5 million. The buyer is currently on the run.
Following the incident, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, ordered the transfer of the case from Area E Command, Festac, to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a detailed investigation. The case, involving allegations of conspiracy, child stealing and human trafficking, is being handled by the Anti-Human Trafficking/Gender Unit of the SCID under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Dayo Akinbisehin.
A police source disclosed that attempts to locate the buyer have so far failed because the contact information provided was false. According to the source, “The information supplied by the person who took the baby turned out to be false. The address could not be traced and the phone number was incorrect.”
The source further revealed that the baby’s mother initially agreed to the arrangement but later became dissatisfied after allegedly receiving only N700,000 instead of the agreed N2.5 million. “The baby’s mother had initially consented to the arrangement. However, the deal went sour after she allegedly received only N700,000 out of the agreed N2.5 million payment,” the source said.
The source added that the case only came to the attention of authorities after the woman complained about the unpaid balance. “The matter came to light after the woman raised concerns over the unpaid balance. Some non-governmental organisations later became involved and reported the matter to the police, triggering an investigation,” the source added.
Police confirmed that the 31-year-old doctor, the baby’s parents and the traditional birth attendant remain in custody and are expected to be charged in court after investigations are completed. Authorities also said efforts are ongoing to locate the buyer and rescue the baby.