Police arrest couple for ‘selling baby for N50k’ in Ogun

The Ogun police command says it has arrested a couple who allegedly sold their one-month-old baby for N50,000 in Ode Remo LGA of the state.

In a statement on Sunday, Abimbola Oyeyemi, Ogun police spokesperson, said the husband and wife were arrested on December 16.

According to the statement, a third suspect said to have given the money to the couple is at large.

“The suspects, Eze Onyebuchi and his wife, Oluchi Eze, were arrested on the 16 of December 2021, following an information received by policemen at Ode Remo divisional headquarters, that the couple who live at Ayegbami street, Ilara Remo, willingly sold their one-month-old baby to a woman who is now at large,” the statement reads.

“Upon the information, the DPO, Ode Remo division, CSP Olayemi Fagbohun, detailed his detectives to the area where the couple was arrested and brought to the station.

“On interrogation, the suspects explained to the police that it was one Mrs. Ruth Obajimi, who directed the yet-to-be-identified buyer to them. They stated further that the woman came to them on the 14th of December, 2021, and told them that she is from human rights office and that she will help them to foster their child.

“The woman then gave them the sum of fifty thousand naira and they handed over the baby to her despite not knowing her from Adam.”

According to Oyeyemi, Lanre Bankole, commissioner of police in Ogun, has directed that the suspects be transferred to the anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for further investigation.

He added that a search is ongoing for the woman who allegedly paid for the baby.