The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Oyo State command, has uncovered a baby factory allegedly operated by a woman. The operator was simply identified as Mrs. Stella of Block B, House 8, Adebayo Oke Street, Sharp Corner, Oluyole, Ibadan.

Two female victims, among whom is a pregnant woman, were rescued while three accomplices were arrested at the factory by the NIS operatives.

Briefing newsmen yesterday, Oyo State Comptroller of NIS, Saleh Abdullahi, disclosed that Zone ‘F’ of the command discovered the baby factory. Abdullahi said the alleged operator of the factory, Stella, has gone into hiding.

The operatives rescued a 16-year-old girl, Mary Yawa, from her client, Mrs. Kehinde Omotoso of Awolowo Bashorun area, Ibadan, on January 28. Yawa was said to have delivered a baby at the baby factory on August 28, 2018.

According to the immigration comptroller, “In the process of investigation, Yawa, a Togolese, said that she was impregnated by one Adewale when she was a housemaid to one Alhaja from Saki. A few days to her delivery, the Alhaja took her to Stella, who is not a nurse, where she was delivered of a baby on August 22, 2018.

“After her delivery, precisely on August 27, 2018, the Alhaja, her mistress from Saki, came to the house with another woman and took her child away, while Yawa was thereafter given to her end user Omotoso, where she was rescued.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service visited Stella’s house, but did not meet her. Officers met a 25-year-old girl, Odunayo Abiodun, who claimed to be
Stella’s sister and another 21-year-old pregnant lady, Esther Hadji”.

The comptroller said pregnant Hadji, a Togolese, claimed her brother, Kodjo, brought her to Stella’s baby factory. Abdullahi said immigration and the police had launched a manhunt for Stella and the Alhaja from Saki.

According to him, Stella’s house was locked when detectives got there. He, however, vowed that Stella and her accomplice, Alhaja, would soon be arrested and prosecuted. The two victims and three accomplices were later handed over to the representatives of National Agency for the
Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).