The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Tuesday said it had bursted another baby-sale racket and arrested two female suspects that were involved.
The agency said the suspects were allegedly involved in the sale of a one-month old boy delivered by a mad woman.
The Lagos State commander of NAPTIP, Daniel Atokolo, said this during a news conference organised by the agency in Lagos.
Atokolo said the agency arrested the two women who were alleged to have been involved in the selling and buying of the baby delivered by a mentally-challenged woman on January 30.
According to Atokolo, fresh facts from the agency revealed that it was the fifth time the mentally-deranged mother would be losing her child to the greed of the people around her.
He said: “Nigerians may argue that the move is in the interest of the baby, the agency totally disagrees with this.
“The agency, therefore, calls on citizens with good intentions to explore legal means of adopting babies.
“This crime is punishable by law because the illegal avenues availed unscrupulous elements the opportunity to exploit both women and their young infants, even for ungodly activities such as rituals.”
Atokolo said the agency under the leadership of its Director-General, Dame Okah-Donli, would never relent in the fight against human trafficking.
He said: “NAPTIP will not relent in its efforts and with all the resources at its disposal to ensure that Nigeria becomes a human trafficking-free nation.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Lagos Command of NAPTIP has since its inception in 2004 to December 2019 recorded 89 convictions.
Also, it has provided various services to 4,626 victims under its Lagos Shelter programme.
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