The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a one-month-old baby girl allegedly sold by her mother for N2 million in Ido Local Government Area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Ibadan.
According to Ayanlade, the owner of a health facility allegedly facilitated the sale after the baby’s mother delivered at the facility.
He said the police received a report from Mary Amos on Thursday at about 6 p.m., alleging that her 23-year-old daughter had disappeared with her newborn baby.
The complainant reportedly said her daughter gave birth on September 6 at Ebepraise Health Centre, Ido, but disappeared with the child about seven days later and could not give a satisfactory explanation of the baby’s whereabouts.
The development reportedly raised suspicions that the child might have been sold.
Ayanlade said police operatives subsequently arrested the baby’s mother for questioning, during which she allegedly confessed that the health facility owner and another suspect, identified as Oludunni, had lured her into the arrangement and facilitated the sale to a person identified as Folawewo.
The police spokesperson added that investigations revealed that the baby’s mother allegedly received N1 million from the transaction, while the health facility owner and Oludunni reportedly received N500,000 each.
He confirmed that the baby had been rescued, while efforts were ongoing to arrest the alleged buyer and other persons suspected of involvement in the incident.
Ayanlade reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable persons.
He also urged members of the public to promptly report suspected cases of child trafficking and related offences to the police.