Metro

NAPTIP Arrests 6 Over Alleged Baby Factory In Edo

Published

3 years ago

October 16, 2022

…Reveals How Suspects Connived With ‘Keke’ Driver To Kill Victim

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), has arrested six persons allegedly involved in a baby factory in Edo State.

The suspects, it was gathered, were arrested in connection with the alleged sales of two babies delivered at the Grace Maternity Home at Upper Sakponba area of Benin City.

It was gathered that the suspects include Joy Ufunwen Enadeghe, three nurses of grace maternity home as well as the baby’s mother and her boyfriend.

The Edo State Commander of NAPTIP, Bar Nduka Nwanene, who confirmed the incident said the six suspects including the mother of the babies and her boyfriend have been arrested over the incident.

He said the baby’s mother and her boyfriend petitioned the agency that she met the principal suspect in 2020 when she was pregnant and took her to grace maternity home at Upper Sakpoba for delivery, adding that after delivery, Joy and the Nurse, Okogbuwa Tarah, who delivered her of the baby forcefully took the baby from her and pushed her out of the maternity at night.

According to her, she took the baby home and told the husband that she had delivered a baby boy.

“The victim narrated her story to a Keke rider who harboured her before going back to her parents in Nnewi, Anambra state.

He said: “When her parent demanded for the baby, she came back to Benin to meet the Keke man who harboured her instead of going to meet the suspect to demand for her baby. They became friends and relocated from Benin to Aghalokpe, Delta State and were living as husband and wife.”

Nwanene said the principal suspect who was feeling insecure that the woman might resurface to demand for the baby, asked her to come so that she can open a shop for her.

“But when she told her that she was no longer in Benin, the principal suspect then asked her to send her account number to send money for the business of her choice. The victim who was almost due for delivery told her she doesn’t have account, she then ask her to send POS number around her so that she can send the money through the POS.

“She sent the victim N100,000 through the POS, but when she went to withdraw the money, some persons sent by the suspect abducted her with the pregnancy”.

He said few days after she was brought to Benin, she went into labour and was taken to the same maternity home where she had earlier given birth and was also delivered of a baby boy in April.

He explained that the suspect and the nurse allegedly took the baby away on the guise of taken the baby to a good hospital for jaundice treatment but sold the baby and told her the baby died, adding that on noticing the countenance of the victim, they planned to kill her to conceal the alleged crime.

“The suspects hired a Keke man to kill her at night but the man took pity on her and took her to a hotel where they harboured girls for human trafficking, adding that she escaped when police raided the place and went back to meet the keke man who she has been living with.

He said during investigation, the agency discovered that the suspect sold the baby N500,000 in Benin, adding that the nurse gave N150,000 to his accomplice.

“The agency also discovered that the supposed victim was being used as baby factory. She was given money after the sales of the babies, she was working together with the principal suspects and was aware that she was being used as baby factory. She gave birth in 2020, 2021 and 2023 but they claimed the 2021 baby died after birth”

Nwanene added that the supposed victim with her boyfriend kept collecting money from the principal suspect threatening to tell her husband that she was not the mother of his child..

Nwanene said one of the babies has been recovered while the agency is making frantic efforts to recover the second baby, adding that they would be charged to Court.

Metro

20-year-old Mother Buries Newborn Alive

Published

1 hour ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old mother, Maryam Atiku, for allegedly attempting to kill her newborn baby girl by burying her alive in Kamba, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

According to a police statement, made available to newsmen on Wednesday by the command spokesman, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, “the incident occurred on June 25, 2025, when Maryam allegedly tied the baby’s neck with wrappers, covered her mouth, and buried her in a shallow grave at Malam Yaro bush.

“The following day, June 26, a farmer, Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad, while working on his farm near the area, discovered a patch of disturbed soil resembling a fresh grave.

“He raised an alarm and, with the help of nearby residents, exhumed the baby, who was found alive. The infant was rushed to General Hospital, Kamba, where doctors confirmed her condition as stable after receiving medical attention”

The statement said police detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department promptly arrested Maryam, who confessed to the crime during interrogation.

“Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Sani, described the act as “inhuman and unacceptable,” reiterating the Command’s zero tolerance for child abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence.

”He urged parents, guardians, and community leaders to protect children under their care and not compromise their future due to poverty or other pressures.

“The Police Commissioner commended the wife of the Kebbi State Governor, Hajiya Zainab Nasir Idris, for supporting the welfare of the rescued baby and praised Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad for his timely intervention.

“The suspect will be arraigned in court, where she will face prosecution aimed at serving as a deterrent to others.”

Metro

Fresh Boat Accident Kills 29 In Niger

Published

1 hour ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

29 persons have been confirmed dead in a boat accident that occurred on Tuesday in Niger State.

The incident happened in a community called Gausawa in Borgu LGA. at about 11:30am.

The boat was loaded with 90 people including women and children who were going for a condolence visit in another community.

The cause of the accident was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stomp, according to The PUNCH.

It was learnt that the passengers were not wearing any life jacket when the boat accident occurred.

An anonymous source in the ministry of transport disclosed that the boat passengers were not wearing life jacket, pointing out that if they were wearing life jackets more people would have been rescued.

“The passengers were obviously not wearing life jackets, because if they had been, more, if not all of them would have survived the accident.

“Borgu is very far and a lot of these passengers do not like to wear the life jackets for reasons best known to them,” the source said.

As at the time of filing this report, 29 corpses had been recovered with 50 persons rescued alive while two people are said to be still missing.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah confirmed the accident saying search and recue operation was still ongoing.

He said, “NSEMA has received a report of boat mishap incident at a community called Gausawa in Malale area/ward of Borgu LGA.

“According to our desk officer who led the search and rescue operations, the boat took off from a community called Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward with 90 people on board which includes women and children on the boat heading to Dugga for a condolence visit”

NSEMA DG added that, “The incident happened yesterday, 2nd September 2025 at about 11:30am and the cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stomp.

“As at the time of filling this report 29 dead bodies have been recovered with 50 persons rescued alive while 2 people are still missing.

“Search and rescue operations are still on going for possible recovery of missing persons.”

This is the second boat accident in Niger State in 2025.

The first one happened in July and was attributed to tree stomp.

The National Inland Waterway Agency had distributed life jackets in Mokwa after the flood incident which killed over 200 people.

Metro

Three Lagos Labourers Found Dead In Makeshift Apartment

Published

4 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

Three yet-to-be-identified male adults have been found dead in their apartment on Olateju Street in the Lekki Phase One area of Lagos State.

According to The PUNCH, the incident happened in the early hours of Sunday, where the victims reportedly lived together in a makeshift room.

It was gathered that the deceased were casual workers who earned a living by running errands and taking up daily labour within the neighbourhood.

A resident who identified himself simply as Alfred but pleaded not to be identified because he was not permitted to speak with the media said the victims were asleep when the attackers stormed their room.

According to him, the attackers dragged them out of the room and macheted them to death in the process.

He said, “The boys lived in a makeshift structure erected on the premises of a building on the street. We knew them to be labourers who also ran errands for people. But on Sunday morning, one of their colleagues who also stayed around there raised the alarm over an attack on the boys. When people rushed there, the three of them were found lying in a pool of blood with machete cuts all over their bodies. We were told the assailants dragged them out of the room before killing them.”

Another resident, who is a member of the Lekki Estate Residents Association but asked not to be named, said the incident threw the area into panic.

He said no such incident had ever been recorded on the street, adding that the police were immediately invited to the scene of the incident.

“We are now more cautious with the security situation around here. Security measures are also being stepped up as I speak to you,” he added.

As of press time, the motive behind the killing was still unclear.

However, it was learnt from other sources in the community that it might be linked to cult clashes or a dispute involving the deceased.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached for confirmation, as calls to his phone were not responded to.

A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.

The PUNCH reported in August that a skit maker identified simply as Austin was found dead with machete cuts in the Lakowe community of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that some suspected cultists stormed the area in the early hours of the day in search of the deceased

On locating his apartment, they allegedly dragged him out of his room and hacked him to death on the spot.