Behind the claims of mysterious pregnancies and the promise of motherhood, an alleged child trafficking operation involving newborn babies has been uncovered in Cross River State, exposing a disturbing scheme in which a week-old baby girl was allegedly stolen from her biological mother in Akwa Ibom State and sold for ₦3 million.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said it uncovered the alleged operation after security personnel intercepted a vehicle conveying three women and a baby, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the unravelling of an alleged network involved in the acquisition and sale of newborn children.
The Head of Operations, NAPTIP Cross River Command, Mr Jacob Oba, disclosed the development in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Monday.
According to Oba, three women in Obubura, Cross River, allegedly claimed to be pregnant with what they described as “cryptic pregnancies,” which they said could not be detected through conventional means.
Investigations, however, allegedly revealed that the women had arranged with midwives to obtain newborn babies to support their claims of pregnancy.
In one of the most disturbing revelations, Oba said a woman from Akwa Ibom allegedly stole a week-old baby girl and sold the child to one of the women for ₦3 million.
The alleged buyer reportedly intended to present the child as her own, while the other two women were also allegedly making arrangements to obtain newborn babies.
The operation was uncovered when community members reportedly stopped a vehicle conveying the women and the baby, raising suspicions about the circumstances surrounding the child’s possession.
Oba said the alleged buyer claimed to be the baby’s mother but was unable to breastfeed the child when security personnel asked her to do so.
“The main buyer claimed to be the baby’s mother but could not breastfeed the child when security personnel asked her to do so,” he said.
The women were subsequently taken for questioning, leading to the arrest of the alleged supplier of the child, who reportedly confessed to selling the baby.
Further investigations by NAPTIP established that the child’s biological mother was in Akwa Ibom State, supporting allegations that the baby had been stolen.
Oba said the suspects were also suspected of operating baby factories, although the particular child involved in the case was allegedly not obtained from the facility linked to the suspects.
The case has once again drawn attention to the disturbing practice of baby trafficking and the alleged use of fraudulent pregnancy claims to obtain newborn children.
Beyond the alleged ₦3 million transaction, the circumstances surrounding the case raise concerns about the vulnerability of newborns and the methods allegedly employed by traffickers to conceal the identities of children’s biological parents.
Oba said the suspects were arrested on June 22 but that investigations had to be completed before the agency made the matter public.
He added that the case would be charged to court, with further proceedings expected in October.
The agency’s investigation is expected to establish the full extent of the alleged operation, the roles played by the suspects and whether other individuals were involved in the alleged trafficking network.
