Nigeria shuts down 'baby factory'

By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu

KANO, Nigeria (AA) – The Nigerian anti-trafficking agency Wednesday arrested a Nigerian-American woman for allegedly trafficking twins and shut down a “baby factory” in Southeast Nigeria.

In a statement on Wednesday, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said the woman claimed the twins were her biological children, but a maternal DNA test proved her wrong.

The location of the “baby factory” was discovered after a Nigerian-American was found with twins that she claimed to have delivered at Nwamaka Herbal Center in March when she returned from the US.

However, further investigations revealed that the claim was false.

The Nigerian-American, who claimed to be a pastor in the US, said she did not know the father of her twin children because she was involved in multiple sexual affairs in September 2018 in Amsterdam. She claimed to have visited a hospital in Atlanta before coming to Nigeria.

The statement further read: “After several encounters with doctors outside Nigeria, who couldn’t confirm if she was pregnant, she decided to come to Nigeria to seek medical services.

“She further narrated that on March 5, 2020, she came to Nigeria and went to see Mrs. Ijeoma [owner of Nwamaka Herbal Center], who gave her some sort of medicine said to have been mixed with honey and that a few hours later, she gave birth to twins. She claimed to have paid the suspect, Nwamaka Center, naira 2 million ($5,000) for the delivery.”

The suspicious arrangement, according to the NAPTIP, was blown open when she attempted to get necessary immigration documents for the twins.

The agency said the twins tested negative for a maternal DNA test, showing that she was not the biological mother of the children.

“NAPTIP suspected foul play when the owner of the Nwamaka Herbal Center, where she claimed to have delivered the babies, ran away when she learned that security operatives were looking for her. However, three suspects connected to the crime have been arrested with a manhunt launched for the owner of the herbal center.

“The babies are presently receiving adequate care at the shelter of the agency while the investigation continues.”

In the statement, NAPTIP Director-General Sulaiman-Ibrahim expressed concerns over the rising cases of child trafficking in the country, saying the case will be investigated thoroughly and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.