A 33-year-old woman, Olaide Adekunle, has been arrested by men of Ogun State Police Command for allegedly selling her 18-month-old baby to settle a debt in Ogun State.
The mother, who is currently in police custody, allegedly sold the baby at the rate of N600,000 to a yet-to-be identified buyer.
The state’s PPRO, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday saying that the woman was arrested following a complaint lodged at Sango police division by the woman’s husband, Nureni Rasaq.
According to the statement, Rasaq reported that his wife left home to Lagos on March 15, with their baby girl, Moridiat Rasaq, but returned home without her.
Mr. Rasaq also stated that his wife refused to talk to him on the whereabouts of the child, despite all efforts to make her talk.
“Upon the report, the DPO of Sango division, CSP Dahiru Saleh, detailed his detectives to go after the said woman, and she was arrested.
“On interrogation, the suspect confessed that she has sold the baby to someone in Lagos at the rate of N600,000,” Oyeyemi said.
Asked, Oyeyemi quoted the man as saying “she borrowed money from a microfinance bank, and when she was unable to pay back the money, the bank agents started dragging her and threatening to deal decisively with her.”
Consequently, she ran to Lagos to hawk sachet water.
“It was while hawking that she met a man who introduced her to the woman that eventually bought the child in Lagos,” the police spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the acting Commissioner of Police, DCP Babakura Muhammed, has ordered the transfer of the suspect to the State CIID for further investigation and possible recovery of the baby.