The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a medical doctor, a traditional birth attendant, and the parents of a newborn baby over an alleged scheme to sell the child for N2.5 million.
The arrests followed an investigation into allegations of conspiracy, child stealing, and human trafficking after a disagreement over the proceeds of the alleged transaction exposed the arrangement.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the 28-year-old mother and her boyfriend reportedly decided before the birth that they would not keep the baby and instead sought assistance to sell the child.
The couple was allegedly introduced to a prospective buyer in the Ikorodu area of Lagos through intermediaries who facilitated the arrangement.
Sources said complications during labour later forced the woman to seek medical attention at a private hospital in Ikorodu, where a 31-year-old doctor successfully performed a Caesarean section that saved both mother and child.
Investigators believe the final arrangements for the sale were completed shortly after the delivery within the hospital premises.
The newborn was subsequently handed over to an unidentified buyer for an agreed sum of N2.5 million.
However, the alleged transaction unraveled when the mother reportedly received only N700,000 instead of the full amount promised.
Dissatisfied with the payment, she raised concerns about the outstanding balance, drawing attention to the arrangement.
NAN quoted a police source saying that the dispute eventually led to the involvement of some non-governmental organisations, which reported the matter to law enforcement authorities and triggered a formal investigation.
“The baby’s mother had initially consented to the arrangement. However, the deal went sour after she allegedly received only N700,000 out of the agreed N2.5 million payment,” the source said.
The source added that efforts to locate the individual who took custody of the baby had so far been unsuccessful because the contact details provided were false.
“The information supplied by the person who took the baby turned out to be false. The address could not be traced and the phone number was incorrect,” the source stated.
Following the development, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fatai Tijani, ordered the transfer of the case from Area E Command, Festac, to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a more comprehensive probe.
The investigation is currently being conducted by the Anti-Human Trafficking and Gender Unit of the SCID under the supervision of Dayo Akinbisehin.
Police authorities confirmed that the doctor, the traditional birth attendant, and the baby’s parents remain in custody and will be charged in court once investigations are concluded.
Meanwhile, security operatives have intensified efforts to track down the fleeing buyer and recover the missing child.
