The Oyo State Police Command has rescued a one-month-old baby girl allegedly sold by her mother for N2 million to a buyer identified as Folawewo in Ido Local Government Area of Ibadan.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan on Saturday.
According to Ayanlade, the owner of a health facility allegedly facilitated the sale after the baby’s mother delivered at the centre.
The police spokesperson said the incident was reported on Thursday at about 6 p.m. by Mary Amos, who alleged that her 23-year-old daughter gave birth to a baby girl on September 6 at Ebepraise Health Centre in Ido.
Amos reportedly told the police that her daughter disappeared with the baby about seven days after delivery and could not give a satisfactory explanation about the child’s whereabouts, raising suspicions that the infant had been sold.
Following the complaint, police operatives arrested the baby’s mother for questioning.
Ayanlade said the woman confessed during interrogation that the owner of the health facility and another suspect, identified as Oludunni, allegedly lured her into the arrangement and facilitated the sale of the baby to Folawewo.
Further investigations reportedly revealed that the baby’s mother received N1 million from the N2 million transaction, while the health facility owner and Oludunni allegedly received N500,000 each.
The police confirmed that the infant had been rescued, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest the alleged buyer and other individuals linked to the incident to ensure they face justice.
Ayanlade reaffirmed 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 other related offences to the police.