Busted! Operators Of Baby Factory Uncovered In Ilesa

• We Sold A Baby For N3250, 000 – Nurse
• I Was Given N220, 00 – Mother of Two-Week-Old Baby
• Orphanage Homes, Maternity Centres Used As Baby Factory

By Ismaeel Uthman

Baby factory business is on the verge of being fully established in the State of Osun, investigations have revealed.

The business of selling and buying of new born babies has reached an advanced stage in some parts of the state.

According to investigations, the babies are being sold between the range of N350, 000 and N600, 000 to patronisers who are desperately in need.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that some baby factories have been established in Ile-Ife, Ilesa and some adjourning villages, where some young girls were camped and forced to have sexual intercourse with male commercial sex workers for pregnancy.

It was gathered that the young girls were brought from Rivers, Imo, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Anambra states by some syndicates who usually lure on the pretext of securing job for them in Osun.

Investigations by the medium revealed that the baby factories were operating under the guise of orphanage homes and maternity centres in Ilesa and Ile-Ife were being used as cover up by the operators of the baby factory business in the areas.

According to credible sources, syndicates of the illicit business in Ilesa have different locations where young girls were kept and impregnated till labour period.

When it is time for delivery, the sources said the captivated girls will be taken to the maternity centre involved in the baby factory business.

After delivery, the girls would be taken to another location where they would breastfeed their babies for a period of one or two weeks, after which their captors will collect the babies and sell them to intending buyers.

There are syndicates who buy the babies and resell them to other people, said the sources.

Findings revealed that the victims are between 16 and 25 years of age.

OSUN DEFENDER authoritatively gathered that one of the girls being used for the business, Esther Victor, a 21-year-old, delivered a baby boy on August 17, 2020 at a maternity home around Sabo area of Ilesa.

Victor’s baby, according to sources, was allegedly sold to one Moscow, a resident of Omiru area in Ilesa, last week at N350, 000.

According to findings, the young girl and some others were camped and impregnated at Oluwo village around Iperindo in Atakunmosa East Local Government of the state.

Another camp for the baby factory operators was also said to be in Ajegunle village, along Eti-Oni town in Atakunmosa West Local Government of the state.

The medium learnt that a resident of Oluwo village, Isaac Felix, who always carried the pregnant girls on bike to the suspected baby factory in Ilesa, had been arrested by the police.

Also a pregnant lady, Miss Joy, who was kept at Ajegunle village by the baby factory operators, has been arrested by the police.

Another pregnant lady, Glory Bassey, a 25-year-old lady and Esther Victor, who had already sold her baby boy were also arrested at a house at Oke-Esa Street Ilesa by the police.

The police have also arrested a nurse, Mary Adekanmi, an indigene of Ede, who was working in a Hospital suspected to be involved in the baby factory business at Sabo-Irojo in Ilesa.

According to reports, Adekanmi, who allegedly facilitated the sales of Victor’s baby, collected N115, 000, while Bassey was given N15, 000 for connecting her with the nurse. Victor, the mother was given N220, 000 by the buyer.

The police are on the trail of Moscow, the buyer of the new born baby, it was learnt.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Yemisi Opalola confirmed the information, stating that investigations have commenced on the matter.

According to Opalola, the police have been acting on intelligence reports that led to the arrest of the four suspects allegedly involved in the business, promising that all the operators of the baby factory would be arrested soon.

In Ile-Ife, a baby factory that was allegedly operating under the guise of an orphanage centre identified as Oroyemi Elizabeth Covenant Home and Care Centre, was last week sealed by the state government.

No fewer than 47 children were evacuated from the building, where some women were allegedly impregnated and their babies sold off by operators.

An undergraduate student of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree was among the ladies rescued at the facility last Friday.

Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs in the state, Mrs. Olubukola Olaboopo, who led other officials of the ministry to seal off the facility, stated that government received reports of some illegal activities in the building over a period of three to four years.

She said: “We have gotten several reports over a period of 3-4 years, reporting how the children in Oroyemi Elizabeth Covenant Home and Care Centre are malnourished and the environment has been very dirty and how some illegal activities have been going on, more or less, like a baby factory and several other allegations.”

Speaking on the suspected Ile-Ife baby factory, Opalola said investigations have also commenced on the matter, even as she said the owner of the Oroyemi Elizabeth Covenant Home and Care, Mrs. Oroyemi Elizabeth, denied using the place for baby factory.

Opalola said: “On 7th September, 2020 at about 13:54 hours, information was received that, there is an illegal baby factory located at Opa area, Ile-Ife, Osun State, where undisclosed number of children and young ladies are kept.

“Consequently, Police detectives swung into action, visited the scene, where one Mrs. Oroyemi Elizabeth, the owner of the said baby factory, was invited for interrogation.

“In her statement which was obtained under caution, she debunked the allegation; adding that she is operating an orphanage home. Investigations are ongoing to unravel the truth of the matter.

“The Commissioner of Police is using this medium to plead with the good people of the state to give prompt and accurate information to the Police in the spirit of community policing, in order to jointly fight against and reduce crimes and criminality to the barest minimum in the state.”