Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Lagos State have uncovered an alleged illegal maternity trafficking ring in the Badagry area, rescuing 18 pregnant women and 10 children in a late-night operation that extended into the early hours of Thursday.
The raid, carried out at Okuju, Ilado, followed weeks of intelligence gathering and led to the arrest of two suspects identified as Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu, who were allegedly running the facility from a residential building converted into multiple rooms.
Lagos NSCDC Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, who paraded the suspects and victims in Badagry, said the operation exposed a network where pregnant women were allegedly recruited under the promise of payment after delivery, only for their babies to be taken and sold.
According to him, 17 of the rescued women are currently carrying pregnancies, while one suffered a miscarriage. He added that the facility also housed several young children who were allegedly being prepared for illicit adoption arrangements.
“They operate what can be described as a baby trafficking ring, where pregnant women are lured with financial agreements.
After delivery, the babies are taken and sold to buyers, while the women are paid what was initially promised,” Keshinro said.
He explained that the operation was based on credible intelligence tracked over a three-week period, adding that the property used for the alleged activities would be handed over to the state government for possible demolition to prevent further criminal use.
The NSCDC boss said the suspects would be transferred to the police for prosecution, while the rescued victims would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and further investigation.
However, one of the suspects, Joy Okeke, denied the allegations, insisting that the facility was used for child adoption services for people unable to have children.
“We are only helping people adopt children. I have been doing this for some months,” she said, adding that she would prefer to speak further in the presence of her lawyer.