The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a woman identified as Ada Clement for allegedly running a baby factory in Ore, the headquarters of Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, saying that five pregnant teenage girls were rescued from the illegal operation.
According to Ayanlade, investigations revealed that the suspect sold newborns for ₦400,000 and above for female babies and ₦600,000 and above for male babies. One of the rescued victims had already delivered a baby boy inside the facility.
He explained that the case was first reported to the Ore Divisional Police Headquarters by 17-year-old Vivian Peter, who escaped from the facility after being trafficked from Akwa Ibom State under the false promise of a job.
“Upon arriving in Ore, she was taken to what was described as a clinic but later discovered to be a baby factory where other pregnant girls were being held. She managed to escape during a medical visit and reported the case to the police,” Ayanlade said.
Acting on her report, operatives from the Ore Division, alongside the command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit, stormed the location and rescued five pregnant girls along with a baby boy. One of the victims is currently receiving postnatal care at the General Hospital, Ore, while the others are under police protection.
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Preliminary investigations confirmed that Ada Clement and her accomplices had turned the facility into a baby-selling operation, keeping young girls until delivery before selling their babies to buyers.
The Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, has ordered a full investigation into the matter and directed that all members of the trafficking ring be tracked down and prosecuted.
Ayanlade added that detectives are already on the trail of other fleeing members of the syndicate.
He assured the public that the police remain committed to dismantling all human trafficking and exploitation networks operating within the state.
