Lagos Police Smash Baby Kidnapping Syndicate

Lagos Police Smash Baby Kidnapping Syndicate

Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Lagos State Police Command has smashed a syndicate that specialises in abducting and selling children at the Ejigbo area of the state.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, two members of the syndicate were in the process of selling another abducted baby, a two-weeks-old infant, when they were nabbed.

He said: “A police officer attached to the Motor Traffic Division of Ejigbo Police Division, while controlling traffic at Jakande Gate in Ejigbo, noticed some sort of commotion close to her traffic point.

He said: “She (the traffic police officer) intervened and discovered that a lady named Gift Michael, 24, was found with a suspected new born baby. In her company was her ‘madam’, one Florence Nkem Douglas, 50, both of Ijegun area of Isheri.

“They were about to be mobbed due to the alarm raised by those who had been trailing the duo from their residence in Ijegun, as the whole community had been suspecting them for long for being in the business of buying and selling babies in their maternity clinic.

“The two women were arrested and the baby rescued and taken to Ejigbo Divisional Police headquarters where an in-depth investigation was conducted.

“The Investigation revealed that the said Douglas, a native of Igueben in Edo State, who is not a registered nurse, operates two maternity clinics-Flofidel Clinic and Maternity Homes with branches in 182 Shosanya Street, Ijegun road and Okunola Ijagemo areas.

“On interrogation, Mrs. Douglas admitted to have been in the business of baby sales for a while.

“She revealed that a baby girl is referred to as ‘Pink’ while a baby boy is called ‘Blue’, and are both referred to as ‘Market.

Mrs. Douglas further confessed that the male baby found in their custody at Jakande Gate was brought to her from Gombe State enroute Akure, Ondo State, and was to be sold for N500, 000.”

The rescued baby, who appeared ill with symptoms suspected to be jaundice, was promptly taken to the hospital for medical attention.

Elkana said worthy of mention are  pictures of about 50 different babies in the phone of the suspect suspected to have already been sold off, which she disclosed that such babies are usually sold between N500,000.00 and N1million depending on their sex.

The police PRO noted that the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, has already ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, to take over the investigation and ensure that other members of the syndicate are apprehended.

In another development, the Ejigbo Police Division also arrested a pastor, David Daniel, for allegedly indecently and sexually assaulting one Joy Muriyaro in the guise of conducting religious deliverance on her.

The suspect was said to have gone to the victim’s shop, claiming that he saw a vision where she had a spiritual problems and has foreseen her having fibroid growth in her womb in the future.

He collected N3,050 cash from her and  a bottle of perfume worth N1,000 for the said spiritual deliverance, after which he urged her to take off her clothes for him to rob anointing oil on her buttocks.

She became apprehensive when she noticed that the suspect was allegedly masturbating when robbing the anointing oil on her buttocks.

Elkana said the suspect, who was arrested and charged to court for sexual assault, has been remanded in Kirikiri Prison.

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