How NSCDC Busted Lagos Baby Factory, Rescued 18 Pregnant Women, 10 Children

How NSCDC Busted Lagos Baby Factory, Rescued 18 Pregnant Women, 10 Children

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, busted an illegal baby factory in the Okuju area of Ilado, Badagry, rescuing 18 pregnant women and 10 children.

The operation, which took place between late Wednesday and the early hours of Thursday, followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering by the command.

The facility was reportedly operated by two suspects, Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu, who were arrested during the raid. Investigations revealed that the suspects ran a network where pregnant women were recruited and made to agree to sell their babies after delivery.

Speaking after the operation, the Lagos State NSCDC Commandant, Adedotun Keshinro, said the victims were promised payments ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦1.8 million once they gave birth, while some women allegedly brought infants to the centre for sale.

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“They were operating a baby factory where victims were made pregnant. When the babies were delivered, they were sold. The suspects enticed pregnant victims to negotiate with them, and once the babies were born, they were taken and sold while the mothers were paid off,” Keshinro said.

He added that among the rescued victims, one had suffered a miscarriage, while others were still pregnant at the time of the raid. Some children already born were also reportedly being negotiated for sale before the facility was uncovered.

Keshinro described the operation as exposing a “grievous crime against humanity,” stressing that the NSCDC remained committed to tackling human trafficking and child exploitation.

The suspects have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution, while the rescued victims were transferred to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation.

The NSCDC also said the facility would be handed over to the Lagos State Government for possible demolition as part of efforts to curb the spread of illegal baby factories in Nigeria.

The raid adds to a series of crackdowns on child trafficking syndicates across the country in recent months.

How NSCDC Busted Lagos Baby Factory, Rescued 18 Pregnant Women, 10 Children