Men of the Ondo State Police Command have uncovered a suspected baby factory and human trafficking syndicate operating in Ore, Odigbo local government area of the state.
The discovery followed a swift investigation by operatives attached to the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Unit after a young pregnant girl escaped from captivity and reported the case to the police.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olusola Alayande, who disclosed this, said the baby factory was discovered after a 17-year-old girl, from Ikot Ekpan in Akwa Ibom state, reported at the Ore Police Division.
According to him, the young girl reported that she was trafficked to Ondo state under the false promise of employment, but said upon arrival she was taken to a clinic, which later turned out to be a baby factory where several other pregnant girls were kept against their will.
He explained that the young girl recounted how she and other victims were subjected to inhumane treatment and were being exploited by the operators of the illegal facility.
The girl recounted how the owner of the establishment, identified as one Ada Clement (female), instructed that she be taken to another hospital for a medical scan, but she said she escaped and reported the matter at the police station.
Ayanlade said men of the state police command swung into action and worked in collaboration with the officers of the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit, saying “they stormed the suspected location in a well-coordinated operation”
The police spokesperson said the raid led to the successful rescue of five pregnant girls and a baby boy, believed to have been born within the facility.
The police further disclosed that one of the victims had already given birth and is currently receiving postnatal care at the General Hospital, Ore.
“The remaining rescued victims are now in safe protective custody of the Command, where they are receiving medical attention, counselling, and necessary support.
“Preliminary findings revealed shocking details of the illicit operation. The prime suspect, Ada Clement, and some of her accomplices reportedly confessed that the facility was being used as a baby factory, where young pregnant girls were kept until they delivered.
“The newborns were then sold to individuals seeking children through illegal means. The suspects allegedly sold baby girls for ₦400,000 and above, while baby boys were sold for ₦600,000 and above, depending on negotiations with prospective buyers,” he said.
The PPRO said the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, has ordered a comprehensive and discreet investigation into the case to ensure that all members of the trafficking ring are apprehended and prosecuted accordingly.
He said that frantic efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing members of the syndicate, who are currently being trailed by detectives from the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit.
Meanwhile, the command also disclosed that the state command has smashed a kidnapping gang notorious for terrorising travellers along major highways in the southwest.
Ayanlade said the command apprehended one Abdullahi Ibrahim, aged 20, and resident in Ore, following credible intelligence and said ” upon interrogation, the suspect made a confessional statement admitting to being part of a kidnapping gang responsible for several abductions along the Benin–Ore Expressway as well as other criminal activities on the Sagamu–Lagos Expressway.
”He further confessed that the gang’s operations cut across several states in the southern region of Nigeria, operating strategically along state lines to evade detection.
”His confession provided valuable leads that guided operatives of the State Anti-Kidnapping Section (SAKS), Akure, to Benin City, Edo State, where two additional suspects linked to the syndicate were arrested,” he said.
He said the suspects are currently in custody and assisting investigators with information aimed at tracking down other members of the gang believed to be operating between Lagos and Edo States.