A 23-year-old woman, identified as Mary Olatayo, was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly selling her three-week-old baby for N600,000.
This was included in a statement released Thursday by Police Public Relations Officer Abimbola Oyeyemi.
Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested following a complaint from the baby’s father.
PPRO said the father reported the matter to Mowe Division headquarters and said he had met Mary Olatayo a while ago and they started dating.
He said: “The man went on to say that during the process Mary became pregnant and he rented an apartment for her where she lived until she had a baby boy.
“He further complained that three weeks after the birth, the lady suddenly disappeared from the apartment with the baby, only to find her in a hotel where she had arranged to meet another man.
“All efforts to know where the baby is have proved in vain.
“Following his complaint, the DPO Mowe department, SP Folake Afeniforo, dispatched detectives to the crime scene where the suspect was arrested and taken to the police station.
“During interrogation, Mary Olatayo confessed to police that she sold the baby to someone in Anambra state for six hundred thousand naira.
“She confessed that it was her friend Chioma Esther Ogbonna who led her to the buyer in Anambra and they both split the money equally.
“Her confession led to the arrest of Chioma Esther Ogbonna, who also corroborated Mary’s claims.
“Further investigation revealed that Mary Olatayo, a native of Omu-Aran in Kwara State, is a call girl who sees the baby as a disruption to her business, so she decided to get rid of the baby.
“Luckily, she has an accomplice in Chioma who is from Imo State and was quick to contact the buyer in Anambra State.”
The PPRO said Police Commissioner Lanre Bankole had ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Police Department’s Anti-Trafficking and Child Labor Branch for further investigation.
He said: “The CP has also ordered that everything possible must be done to save the baby.”
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