NAPTIP Shuts Illegal Maternity Facility in Rivers, Arrests 3
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, has sealed a residential facility in Elelenwo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, suspected of being operated as an illegal maternity centre linked to child trafficking. The operation was carried out jointly by NAPTIP operatives and officials of the Rivers State Ministry of Health following intelligence about a suspected network involved in the procurement, sale and unlawful transfer of children. Three people, including the alleged owner of the facility, a suspected facilitator and another staff member, were arrested during the operation. NAPTIP said preliminary investigations raised concerns over the activities of a Liberian woman residing in Belgium who reportedly arrived in Nigeria without evidence of pregnancy but allegedly took custody of three children within about a month. The agency said intelligence indicated that approximately N13.5 million was allegedly involved in transactions connected to the transfer of the children. The facility was sealed to preserve potential evidence as investigators work to establish the identities, whereabouts and welfare of the children involved. NAPTIP said forensic and documentary investigations are also being conducted to determine the children's biological and legal parentage, identify those involved in their procurement and transfer, and trace related financial transactions. The agency is further examining the possible involvement of medical personnel and other individuals who may have facilitated the alleged operation.
NAPTIP Director-General Binta Bello expressed concern over reports of foreign nationals patronising suspected baby-trafficking networks in Nigeria. She said the agency had expanded its investigation and would ensure that anyone found culpable faces the law, while prioritising the safety and welfare of the affected children. NAPTIP also urged members of the public to report suspected cases of child trafficking, illegal adoption, baby-selling and other forms of exploitation to the agency. The development follows an earlier directive by the agency's leadership for increased surveillance of suspicious maternity facilities amid concerns that some may be operating as fertility scam centres or fronts for child trafficking.
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