Police Arrests Woman for Selling Own Baby for N600K

James Sowole in Abeokuta

For allegedly selling her three-week-old baby for N600,000, operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 23-year-old woman, Mary Olutayo.

The woman, according to a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, was arrested on August 18, 2022.

The suspect was arrested following a complaint from the father of the baby, who reported at Mowe Police Divisional Headquarters that he met Mary Olatayo sometimes ago and they started dating.

Abimbola said: “The complainant stated further that Mary got pregnant in the process and he rented an apartment for her where she lived till she gave birth to a baby boy.

“He complained further that the lady suddenly disappeared with the baby from the apartment three weeks after delivery only for her to be found in a hotel where she has gone for a ‘hook-up’ with another man.

“All efforts to know the whereabouts of the baby were proven futile. On the strength of his complaint, the Divisional Police Officer, Mowe Division, Folake Afeniforo, detailed detectives to the scene where the suspect was arrested and brought to the station.

“On interrogation, Olatayo confessed to the police that she has sold the baby to someone in Anambra State at the rate of N600,000. She confessed that it was her friend, Chioma Esther Ogbonna, who led her to the buyer in Anambra State and that they both shared the money equally.

“Her confession led to the arrest of Ogbonna, who also corroborated Mary’s claims.

“Further investigation revealed that Olatayo, a native of Omu- Aran in Kwara State, is a call-girl, who saw her baby as a disturbance to her business hence she decided to do away with the baby. Fortunately for her, she has an accomplice in Chioma a native of Imo State who quickly contacted the buyer in Anambra State.”

Oyeyemi said the Ogun State Commissioner of Police,  Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to anti-human trafficking and child labour unit of the state Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation.

He said the commissioner has also directed that everything possible must be done to recover the baby.