A 33-year-old woman, Olaide Adekunle, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command in Nigeria for allegedly selling her 18-month-old baby girl, Moridiat Rasaq, for N600,000 (approximately $1,500 USD) to offset her bank loan. The suspect, who resides in Sango in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, was arrested following a complaint lodged by her husband, Nureni Rasaq, at the Sango divisional headquarters.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the husband reported that his wife left home for Lagos on March 15, 2023, with their baby girl but returned home without the baby. The woman was unable to provide a reasonable account of the baby’s whereabouts, which prompted the police to investigate further.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to selling the baby to an unidentified person in Lagos for N600,000. She claimed that she had borrowed money from a microfinance bank and was unable to repay the loan, resulting in the bank’s agents threatening her. As a result, she fled to Lagos and resorted to hawking sachet water, where she met a man who introduced her to the buyer of the baby.
The acting Commissioner of Police, DCP Babakura Muhammed, has directed that the suspect be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and the possible recovery of the baby. Child trafficking is a serious crime in Nigeria, and those found guilty could face severe penalties, including imprisonment.
