Four people, including a medical doctor, a traditional birth attendant, and the parents of a newborn baby, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command over the alleged sale of an infant for N2.5 million.
Police sources said the 28-year-old mother and her boyfriend had reportedly decided before the child’s birth that they would not keep the baby and subsequently began seeking individuals who could h
elp facilitate the sale. Through intermediaries, the couple was allegedly linked to a prospective buyer in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
The expectant mother was initially taken to a traditional birth attendant for delivery. However, complications during labour reportedly necessitated her transfer to a private hospital in Ikorodu, where a medical doctor successfully performed a Caesarean section, saving both mother and child.
Investigators revealed that the arrangements for the baby’s sale were concluded shortly after delivery within the hospital, and the newborn was allegedly handed over to an unidentified buyer in exchange for N2.5 million. The buyer is currently at large.
Following the incident, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, directed that the matter be transferred from Area E Command, Festac, to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a comprehensive investigation. The case, which involves allegations of conspiracy, child theft, and human trafficking, is being handled by the SCID’s Anti-Human Trafficking/Gender Unit under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Dayo Akinbisehin.
A police source disclosed that efforts to track down the buyer have so far been unsuccessful because the contact details provided were false.
“The information supplied by the person who took the baby turned out to be fake. The address could not be located, and the phone number was invalid,” the source said.
The source further stated that the baby’s mother initially agreed to the arrangement but later became unhappy after allegedly receiving only N700,000 instead of the agreed N2.5 million.
“She consented to the deal from the outset. However, the arrangement fell apart after she allegedly received only N700,000 out of the N2.5 million agreed payment,” the source added.
According to the source, the matter only came to the attention of authorities after the woman complained about the unpaid balance.
“The case came to light when the woman raised concerns about the outstanding payment. Some non-governmental organisations later became involved and alerted the police, prompting an investigation,” the source explained.
Police confirmed that the 31-year-old doctor, the baby’s parents, and the traditional birth attendant remain in custody and are expected to be charged in court once investigations are concluded. Authorities also said efforts are ongoing to locate the buyer and recover the baby.
