The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons says it has sealed off a maternity home in Port Harcourt, Rivers, suspected of operating a ‘baby factory’ and involved in child trafficking.
Vincent Adekoye, NAPTIP spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the operation was conducted jointly with officials of the Rivers Ministry of Health.
He said the operation led to the arrest of the facility owner, an alleged facilitator in the suspected baby sale network, and another staff member connected to the activities.
Mr Adekoye said the arrests followed actionable intelligence on a criminal network allegedly involved in the procurement, sale and unlawful transfer of children within and beyond the country. According to him, the hospital, located in the Elelenwo area of Port Harcourt, is widely regarded as one of the prominent health facilities in Rivers.
He said the facility was sealed following a directive issued months earlier by the NAPTIP director-general, Binta Adamu-Bello, ordering surveillance on suspected maternity homes nationwide.
Mr Adekoye said the directive followed credible intelligence indicating that some maternity homes had become fertility scam centres, generating illicit profits through child trafficking, illegal adoptions and baby sales.
He said preliminary investigations showed that a Liberian national residing in Belgium arrived in Nigeria without evidence of pregnancy but allegedly obtained custody of three children suspiciously. According to him, intelligence available to NAPTIP indicates that about N13.5 million exchanged hands in connection with the transfer of the three children and related transactions.
Mr Adekoye said NAPTIP operatives from Abuja and Rivers, alongside officials from the state Ministry of Health, acted on intelligence and carried out a coordinated operation. He said the premises were sealed to preserve the crime scene and protect potential evidence pending the outcome of investigations, which remained active.
According to him, investigators are conducting forensic and documentary enquiries to establish the identities, whereabouts and welfare of the children and determine their parentage.
He added that investigations also focused on identifying all persons involved, tracing financial transactions, and uncovering the circumstances surrounding the alleged procurement and transfer.
Mr Adekoye said NAPTIP was further examining the possible roles of medical personnel and other individuals who might have facilitated the suspected criminal enterprise.
Ms Adamu-Bello expressed concern over alleged fraudulent activities by operators of some maternity homes and health centres across different parts of Nigeria. She also condemned the suspected involvement of some facilities in illegal adoption practices, child sales and trafficking, describing the trend as disturbing and unacceptable nationwide.
(NAN)
