The Ogun state police command says it has arrested a 33-year-old woman Olaide Adekunle for selling her 18-month-old baby at the rate of N600,000 to a yet to be identified buyer.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Monday.
He said the suspect was arrested following a complain lodged at Sango divisional headquarters by the woman’s husband, one Nureni Rasaq.
” He stated that Rasaq had reported that his wife, Olaide Adekunle, left home to Lagos on March 15 with their baby girl by name Moridiat Rasaq, but returned home without the baby.
” He stated further that all efforts to know what happened to the baby proved abortive as the woman was unable to give any reasonable account of whereabout of the said baby.
” Upon the report, the DPO Sango division, CSP Dahiru Saleh, detailed his detectives to go after the said woman, and she was promptly arrested.
” On interrogation, the suspect confessed that she has sold the baby to someone in Lagos at the rate of 600,000.
” When asked the reason for her action, she stated that 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.
” It was consequence upon this that she ran to Lagos and started hawking sachet water.
It was while hawking that she met a man who introduced her to the woman that eventually bought the child in Lagos ,” he said.
Meanwhile the acting Commissioner of Police, DCP Babakura Muhammed, has directed that the suspect be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Departments for further investigation and possible recovery of the baby.