Men of the Ogun State Police Command yesterday discovered a “baby factory” where young girls have been engaged in delivering babies for sale.

The factory is located at Akute-Ajuwon in Ifo Local Council Area of the state. Those allegedly behind the deal have been arrested and are being detained at the Police Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for questioning and possible prosecution.

Among the suspects were eight pregnant girls, one of them 16 years old, the proprietress of the factory, Mrs. Angela Chigoeze, and her brother-in-law, Obinna Ndunaga.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, who conducted reporters round the factory —a three-room bungalow —, disclosed that the “factory” sold babies for N300, 000 each.

Okoye said the young girls were “usually offered pittance after delivery and their babies taken from them and sold to unknown people.”

The Commissioner attributed the discovery to “robust community policing” and discreet intelligence gathering by men of the state

police command.

He, however, stated that investigation was still ongoing to unravel the other collaborators of the syndicate, which he said used the building at 9, Sebanjo Crescent, off Fabolude bus stop in Akute as operational base.

Three of the pregnant suspects were teenagers. They included 16-year-old Precious Steven as well as Miracle Eze and Blessing Saviour who are both 17 years old.

Others were Jeremiah Gift, 25; Joy Okoro, 20; Stella Samuel, 19; Agnes Igbo, 22; and Vivian Princewill, 20.

The Commissioner said: “When we moved in around 7am Thursday we couldn’t get anything. So, we left. But later we got information and we came back to the house and continued searching. We discovered that the pregnant girls were hidden in the wardrobe.

“One of the girls kept in the wardrobe fainted and she was taken to the hospital and revived. This is inhumanity to human beings. The

proprietress (Angela) of this “baby factory” sold each baby at N300,000 or even above. She in return gives pittance to these young girls. If the mother delivers a stillborn, she will not get anything.”

Okoye said the suspects would be transferred to the State Police Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.

The proprietress of the factory claimed that her husband, now at large, rented the building from where the illicit business was transacted.

Angela, 29, who hails from Abia State, said she started the business last year as a traditional healing home.

She, however, denied that the young girls were usually impregnated inside the house, saying they (pregnant women) were either brought by their husbands or trace her address themselves.

Also speaking, Obinna, who allegedly manned the gates to the house during police raid, said he was not part of the baby-making syndicate.

He claimed that his elder brother, who travelled to the eastern part of the country on Monday, accommodated him in the house when he (Obinna) had financial challenges to secure an apartment in Lagos.

•Credit (except amended headline): The Guardian on Saturday. Photo shows pregnant girls rescued from the baby factory.

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