The Ondo State Police Command has uncovered a major human trafficking and baby-selling syndicate operating in Ore, headquarters of the Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement released on Monday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, said the case, which was first reported to the Ore Police Division, has been transferred to the Gender-Based Violence Unit for comprehensive investigation.
According to Ayanlade, the breakthrough followed a report by a 17-year-old girl, identified as Vivian Peter from Akwa Ibom State, who revealed that she had been trafficked to Ore under the pretense of securing a job.
Upon arrival, the teenager was taken to a supposed “clinic” which later turned out to be a baby factory. Inside the facility, she reportedly met several other pregnant girls being held against their will.
Vivian told investigators that the suspected operator of the facility, one Ada Clement, had instructed that she be taken to another hospital for a medical scan. However, she managed to escape and immediately alerted the Ore Police Division.
Acting on her report, detectives from the division, in collaboration with the Command’s Gender-Based Violence Unit, stormed the premises, rescuing five pregnant girls and a baby boy. One of the victims had already given birth and is currently receiving postnatal care at the General Hospital, Ore, while the others have been placed in protective custody.
Prime Suspect Confesses
Preliminary investigations revealed that the prime suspect, Ada Clement, and some of her accomplices had confessed to operating the illicit facility. They reportedly admitted that the babies were sold to buyers seeking children — with male babies sold for ₦600,000 and above, and female babies for ₦400,000 and above.
Following the development, the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, ordered an intensive and discreet investigation to track down all fleeing members of the syndicate and ensure they face justice.
Ayanlade added that detectives from the Gender-Based Violence Unit are already pursuing several leads to dismantle the network completely.
Police Reaffirm Commitment to Justice
Commissioner Lawal reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to the directives of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, emphasizing that the Nigeria Police Force will remain unrelenting in its fight against human trafficking, child exploitation, and all forms of gender-based violence.
He assured residents of the state that the Command would continue to protect vulnerable persons and bring perpetrators of such heinous crimes to justice.
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