Stakeholders explain why baby factories are booming as police rescue 10 victims in Rivers

By Ngozi Nwoke and Tony John, Port Harcourt

On January 7, operatives of C4i Intelligence Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Rivers State Command, raided suspected baby factories and made arrests. The alleged baby factories were at two different houses in Igwuruta and Omagwa communities, in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Daily Sun gathered that C4i operatives, who carried the operations at about 4.45pm, following credible intelligence, stormed the spots where victims of child trafficking were kept.

Rivers State police public relations officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, a superintendent of police, said during the raid four suspects were arrested. She said among the suspects were a 40-year-old woman and leader of the child trafficking syndicate, Peace Alikoi, from Igwuruta community, and  Favour Bright, 30, from Umudioga community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Two male suspects, 29-year-old Noble Uzuchi, and Chogozie Ogbonna, also 29, were nabbed.

Ten  victims were rescued in the operation and they were mostly pregnant. They included Gift Saviour, 19, from Umudioga, in Ikwerre LGA, Joy Monday, 21, from Bumy community, Gokana LGA, Chiagoro Nice, 19, from Ndas, Etche LGA, Precious Kalu, 25, from Umudioga Emohua LGA, and  Chika Nwosa, 15, from Umudioga Emohua LGA, all in Rivers State.

Others victims were Favour Charles, 23, from Abale community in Obingwa LGA of Abia State and Cynthia Ekeh, 27, from Okpuala community Ngor Okpala LGA, Imo State, Blessing Francis, 28, from Ngwa community in  Ikot Ekpene LGA, Joy Emmanuel, 29, from Ikot Obiom community in Nsit Ibiom LGA, Akwa Ibom State, and Queen Amos, 28, from Owase community in Kwande LGA, Benue State.

Police spokesperson, Iringe-Koko, said investigation into the case so far revealed that when any of the victims delivered, the syndicate's leader would keep the baby. She disclosed that the leader pids the victim N500,000 for a baby.

According to Iringe-Koko, all the victims confessed that they were lured into the illicit sale of children because of the need to meet some financial challenges. Police said they recovered from the syndicate leader a white Honda Pilot Jeep with number, Lagos FST 607AX.

Meanwhile, the case has been transferred to the State CID. The police command said efforts were being intensified to track and arrest the buyers of the children already sold out.

Iringe-Koko said: “The command wishes to reaffirm its commitment to reducing crime and criminality in all its forms to its barest minimum. While painstaking effort is being deployed to ensure the above, members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.”

Explaining why baby factories are flourishing, the founder of Little Saints Orphanage Home, Lagos, Rev. Mrs. Dele George, in a phone interview, said: “The baby factory business is booming because a lot of these young girls and women are still vulnerable. It's just like saying before you can stop the dog from eating the meat, you must keep it out of reach.

“The target is teenage girls, especially between the ages of 16 and 25. So long as these teenage girls are on the loose without shelter or care, these baby factory business organisers will still be on the hunt for them and the sad reality is that they always succeed, in most cases.

“You cannot tell a teenage girl or a lady who is homeless, jobless, hungry and without a trace of her family to turn down juicy offers even if they come from the devil. These baby factory kingpins would always lure their target into the business with attractive and irresistible offers such as promising to give them good shelter, feeding and a good life.

“Some even promise them well paid jobs, only for them to find out that all is false and by the time they discover the truth, it is late for them to back out. As an NGO, we have worked with agencies to rescue these girls and, during our raids, we counsel the girls, who by that time are already six or seven months pregnant, while some are due for delivery.

“So, my thoughts on this issue is that parents, guardians social workers, NGOs and the government must ensure that these teenage girls and women do not remain vulnerable in society for these people to prey on.”

Engr. Prosper Okafor,  president, Crusade for Greater Nigeria on Poverty Eradication and Social Matters (CFGN), said: “The problem about baby factory is that it is not legalized by the government. My opinion is that baby factories should be legalized and should be monitored and regulated by stakeholders, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs.

“Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. In this case, these baby factories have brought joy and relief to couples who are unable to bear children. The children are being bought by these couples who raise them and give them a home and future.

“But the disadvantage in this case is also that young girls are deceived into this business. Another disadvantage is that no one checkmates the people who come to buy these children from the factories. We have evil people who have bought these children with the sole intention to use them for ritual purposes.

“Again, there is no synergy between the government and NGOs or stakeholders. These organizations are not carried along during the rescue or sanitization exercises by the government or security agencies. Because at the end of the raids or rescue mission, the big question is, what happens to the young girls and women who are in the situation of becoming mothers? What happens to the men and young boys who impregnated these women and girls? The bottom line is that baby factory business should be legalized and strictly regulated by the government.”