OPERATIVES of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Health, have sealed a suspected baby factory in Port Harcourt and arrested three persons over alleged child trafficking.

The joint operation led to the arrest of the facility’s owner, a facilitator and a staff member following actionable intelligence on a criminal network involved in the procurement and sale of children.

According to a statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations unit of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, the raid aligns with a recent directive by the NAPTIP boss ordering improved surveillance on suspected maternity homes following intelligence that many had morphed into fertility scam centres.

Adekoye said preliminary investigations revealed that a Liberian national residing in Belgium arrived in Nigeria without evidence of pregnancy, yet took custody of three children within a month.

Intelligence indicates that approximately N13.5 million exchanged hands for the children’s unlawful transfer.

The sealed residential apartment that was converted into an illegal maternity facility, is located in the Elelenwo area of the state capital.

NAPTIP operatives and state health officials sealed the premises to safeguard potential evidence.

Investigators are currently conducting forensic inquiries to establish the identities, biological parentage, and welfare of the children, as well as trace the financial transactions surrounding their procurement, the statement said.

Reacting, The Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, expressed concern over the fraudulent activities of some health centres.

She said “I am particularly disturbed that foreign nationals now come to Nigeria to patronise these suspected criminal elements and procure children like a common object of trade across the border.

“This is sad and totally unacceptable,” Bello stated.

She assured Nigerians that the agency had spread its dragnet to apprehend all those involved, vowing that they would face the full wrath of the law.

“The agency will ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice, while the safety and welfare of the affected children remain its foremost priority.

“Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant and to report suspected cases of child trafficking,” she added.