The Ondo State Police Command has dismantled a suspected baby factory in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, and arrested one Ada Clement for allegedly trafficking and exploiting underage girls for baby sales.
In a statement released on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, SP Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed that five pregnant teenagers were rescued from the illegal facility, while one of the victims had already given birth to a baby boy.
According to Ayanlade, the discovery followed a report by 17-year-old Vivian Peter from Akwa Ibom State, who told police she had been lured to Ore with a fake job offer but was instead taken to a so-called clinic that turned out to be a baby factory.
“She revealed that she and other girls were being held for exploitation. The suspect later asked that she be taken for a medical scan, but she escaped and reported to the Ore Police Division,” Ayanlade said.
Following the tip-off, detectives from the Ore Division and the Gender-Based Violence Unit raided the facility, rescuing the victims and a newborn. Investigations revealed that Clement allegedly sold babies for ₦400,000 and above for female children and ₦600,000 and above for male children.
Preliminary findings showed that young girls were kept in the facility until delivery, after which their babies were sold to individuals seeking children. The rescued victims are now in police protection, while the nursing mother is receiving treatment at the General Hospital, Ore.
The Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, has ordered a full investigation into the case and directed that all accomplices be tracked and brought to justice. Police say efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate currently on the run.
