The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has sealed an illegal maternity facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following allegations that three babies were sold through a suspected child trafficking network.
The operation, conducted jointly by NAPTIP and the Rivers State Ministry of Health, resulted in the arrest of the facility’s owner, an alleged intermediary in the transaction and another staff member.
According to a statement issued by the agency on Thursday, the facility, located in Elelenwo, Port Harcourt, was operating from a residential apartment and was allegedly involved in the procurement, sale and illegal transfer of children.
NAPTIP said preliminary investigations revealed that a Liberian woman living in Belgium arrived in Nigeria without any evidence of pregnancy but allegedly took custody of three children within a period of about one month.
The agency added that investigators found evidence indicating that approximately N13.5 million was paid in connection with the transfer of the three children.
NAPTIP said investigations are ongoing to uncover other individuals and activities connected to the alleged trafficking operation.
