The Police have arrested a 42-year old woman, Beatrice Nwankwo for her alleged involvement in the sale of babies at Ajegunle, a surburb of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The suspect who claimed to be a nurse was using her one-room apartment at 83, Mosafejo Street, Ajegunle, Lagos as a facility where pregnant women were delivered of their babies. Sources gathered from the police that after after a woman was delivered of her baby, the baby will suddenly disappear and the mother will be told that her baby died during delivery.
She was arrested by the police from the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Adeniji Adeleniji Police Command, Lagos where she is being detained. She is to be charged with child theft and operating illegal health facility.
Investigations revealed further that Beatrice from Umuahia in Abia State, initially rented the room for dwelling but later converted it into a health facility for pregnant women to deliver their babies. “We discovered that she was using her room as a health facility to carry out abortion and deliver pregnant young women of their babies. Her activities have been disturbing the peace in this area,” one of her neighbours told sources.
Police sources said numerous complaints had been lodged at FSARS by women who after being delivered of their babies were told that the babies had died. “This was the usual story line and this had led to disturbances in the area during which some residents were injured.
Sources gathered that her arrest followed a complaint made by one of the victims who suspected that the suspect sold her baby. According to her neighbours, some young pregnant girls were usually found with her and after being delivered of their babies, the babies will disappear. ”Sometimes, they will be quarrelling over money suspected to have been received from the sale of the babies,” the source added.
When sources visited FSARS, the woman was seen in one of the cells there.
Police officers on duty declined to comment on her arrest, but a detective who spoke on condition of anonymity said investigation was still ongoing on her activities and that she would soon be charged to court.
A senior police officer identified as DSP Lado is said to be in charge of the investigation.
Efforts to speak with the suspect at the station failed.