The Lagos State Police Command has detained a medical doctor, a traditional birth attendant and the parents of a newborn infant in connection with the alleged selling of the kid for N2.5 million.
The accused are now being investigated for alleged conspiracy, child snatching and human trafficking while efforts are on to track the buyer who is still on the run.
Police sources said the 28-year-old mother and her boyfriend had apparently decided before the birth that they would not keep the child and were then looking for anyone who could help them sell the baby.
The pair were said to have been connected to a possible customer in the Ikorodu district of Lagos by middlemen, according to investigators.
The expectant woman was first escorted to a traditional birth attendant for delivery. Complications during birth forced her to be sent to a private hospital in Ikorodu where a medical doctor performed a Caesarean section to save both mother and child.
Investigators said agreements for the sale of the infant were made shortly after delivery, within the hospital.
The newborn was then sold to an unknown buyer for N2.5m.
The matter came to the notice of the authorities following alleged conflicts over the splitting of the revenues of the deal.
A police source said the mother of the infant first consented to the arrangement but later raised an alarm after collecting N700, 000 out of the N2.5 million.
The baby’s mother had initially agreed to the arrangement. “But the deal turned sour when she was allegedly paid only N700,000 out of the agreed N2.5million,” the source added.
The source said non-governmental organisations intervened following the dispute and then contacted law enforcement officials, resulting in the investigation and arrests.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, has ordered that the case be transferred from Area E Command, Festac, to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation.
The matter is being handled by the SCID Anti-Human Trafficking and Gender Unit, under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Mr Dayo Akinbisehin.
Police detectives added that the address and telephone number provided in the transaction were proven to be fraudulent and all attempts to trace the buyer have so far been futile.
“The information given by the individual who took the baby was incorrect. The source noted that the address could not be traced and the phone number was invalid.
Authorities said they are working to recover the youngster and identify all persons related to the accused trafficking network.
The police emphasised that all individuals found accountable would be prosecuted according to the law as investigations continue.
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