By Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, August 25, 2026
MOWE, Nigeria — Law enforcement authorities in southern Nigeria have dismantled an illegal human trafficking syndicate operating an illicit “baby factory,” safely rescuing two heavily pregnant women and four young children from a residential compound outside the commercial capital of Lagos.
The raid, executed early Monday morning by operatives of the Mowe Division of the Ogun State Police Command, marks the latest crackdown on black-market baby-selling rings in Africa’s most populous nation. Six suspects were taken into custody during the operation, including a medical nurse accused of facilitating transactions.
According to official police reports released Tuesday, officers acting on sustained intelligence stormed a hidden compound along Toluwalase Street in Abaren Village, a suburban district near Mowe, at approximately 8:00 a.m. on August 24.
Authorities reported that preliminary investigations reveal the residence was being systematically utilized for unlawful confinement, human trafficking, and black-market adoptions.
During the initial sweep, officers located two young pregnant victims inside the facility: 23-year-old Ilesanmi Foluke, who is seven months pregnant, and 20-year-old Ejekwa Melody, eight months pregnant. Four young children—two boys and two girls—were also rescued from the compound.
The operation expanded shortly after when follow-up leads directed investigators to a nearby hospital in Mowe. There, police discovered a third victim, 26-year-old Blessing Bright Effiong, who had given birth to a infant boy on August 20. While Ms. Effiong was receiving ongoing medical care, her newborn child was missing.
Operatives immediately arrested the attending medical nurse, Oseni Kusamotu Idaya, who remains under intense interrogation as law enforcement works to locate the missing infant.
In addition to the attending nurse, police arrested five other suspects alleged to be core members of the syndicate: Florence Glory Ogbona, 58; Magdalene Julius, 63; Chidike Egwuonwu, 40; Onyechu Chidike, 35; and Stephen Ogbona, 39.
The case has been formally transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) at Eleweran, Abeokuta, for comprehensive criminal investigation.
Commending the tactical execution of the Mowe Division, the Commissioner of Police for Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, reaffirmed the department’s zero-tolerance stance on human exploitation.
”The Command maintains an unwavering commitment to stamping out human trafficking, child trading, and all forms of violent crime across Ogun State,” CP Ojajuni stated, urging the public to remain vigilant and utilize dedicated toll-free emergency hotlines—including the state’s Gateway Shield service (0800 000 9111)—to report suspicious activities within local communities.
The raid in Abaren Village shines a stark light on a persistent national crisis in Nigeria: the proliferation of clandestine maternity operations colloquially termed “baby factories.”
These illegal operations—frequently masquerading as private medical facilities, faith-based homes, or unaccredited orphanages—target vulnerable young women, particularly teenagers and women in extreme poverty facing unviable or out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
In many cases, syndicates lure women under the promise of shelter, financial assistance, or medical care, only to hold them in captivity until they give birth. Once delivered, newborns are routinely seized and sold on the black market for prices ranging from hundreds to several thousand dollars, with male infants traditionally commanding higher prices due to cultural preferences for male heirs.
The buyers in these illicit transactions often include wealthy, childless couples who face severe societal stigma around infertility or encounter prohibitive legal red tape in formal adoption channels.
In rarer and more harrowing instances, human rights organizations have documented babies being trafficked into forced labor networks, domestic servitude, or ritualistic practices.
Ogun State, owing to its proximity to Lagos—West Africa’s primary financial and transit hub—has historically served as a critical corridor for human trafficking networks. Bordered by expansive suburban sprawl and semi-rural villages like Mowe, traffickers leverage remote residential properties to evade local law enforcement.
The Ogun State Police Command has launched repeated sweeps over recent years, repeatedly uncovering hidden compounds and freeing victims.
Human rights advocates point out that combating the trade requires tackling root systemic causes, including deep socioeconomic inequality, strict adoption regulations, and limited access to reproductive healthcare.
In response, federal agencies such as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) have partnered with state authorities to enforce stricter penalties under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act.
As investigations into the Mowe syndicate continue, local authorities remain focused on tracing the network’s financial trail and locating the missing newborn, while victims receive physical and psychological support from state welfare services.
