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Couple Arrested For Running Baby Factory In Lagos

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Binta Adebayo and Adeola Adebayo. Photo Credit: Punch

The Lagos State Police Command on Sunday arrested a couple on Treasure Palace Close, in the Igando area of the state, for allegedly operating a baby factory.

The couple – Adeola Adebayo, 50; and Binta Adebayo, 40, reportedly harbour three heavily pregnant women, who were freed by the police.

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The pregnant women were identified as Favour Osikwemeh, 19; Precious Emmanuel, 27; and 25-year-old Onome Oputi.

Osikweme, who is seven-month pregnant, said a friend, Lepa, took her to Binta in December 2017 to stay with her until she put to bed, but, she was not notified about Binta’s illicit plan to sell her unborn baby.

She said, “I was not told it is a baby factory. I was staying with my friend called Lepa. She told me that her apartment was too small and she took me to the woman’s house to give birth to my child.

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“I have been with the woman since December 2017. She (Binta)told my mum that I was working for her, but we didn’t negotiate payment for my child.”

Emmanuel said she was pregnant for a foreigner, adding that her sister introduced her to the baby factory and that Binta promised to settle her as soon as she gives birth.

However, Adeola told the police on Tuesday that he was not aware his wife ran a baby factory, claiming that they were not living together.

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“The police arrested us for running a baby factory, but I don’t know anything about it. I was arrested in front of my house. The police interrogated the pregnant women who told them that I didn’t know anything about it,” he said.

Binta, who also identified herself as Nene Okoro, denied the allegations, saying the pregnant women only help her to sell drinks in her shop.

She said, “I am not running any baby factory. I have never sold any baby. Two of the three women only helped me with my business. They help me sell drinks at the shop. They don’t stay with me.

“The other woman (Oputi) is my daughter-in-law, and she has been living with me for over four years. She is my son’s wife who is now in Cameroon and she has two children for him. If I sold babies, how come I didn’t sell my two grandchildren?”

The state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, said the suspects usually sold children without their mothers’ consent and added that they would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for prosecution.