Babies for Sale at ₦1.5m: Inside the Dark Trade Behind a ‘Joyful’ Orphanage in Ogun

Segun Atanda/

What appeared to be a place of refuge for vulnerable children has been unmasked as the centre of a chilling baby-selling operation, following a major breakthrough by the Police in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Police authorities today confirmed the dismantling of an organised child-trafficking and illegal surrogacy syndicate operating under the cover of Joyful Kids Orphanage, with seven children rescued and five suspects arrested in an operation that exposed a ₦1.5 million-per-baby sales racket.

Addressing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Ogunlowo, said the operation was carried out by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) after weeks of painstaking intelligence gathering.

According to him, the case began on November 28, 2025, when a woman identified as Amara reported the abduction of her six-year-old son, Samuel Honesty, at Idanyin Divisional Headquarters. Preliminary investigations led to arrests and prosecution for suspected foul play before the matter was transferred to the SCID for in-depth investigation.

The investigation took a decisive turn on January 21, 2026, when the missing child was dropped at Gowon Estate Police Station in Lagos State. The boy reportedly told officers he had been taken to Joyful Kids Orphanage in Badagry and identified the operator as “Madam Joy”.

“Acting on this crucial intelligence, our operatives stormed the facility and uncovered a disturbing network where children were being traded as commodities,” the Commissioner said.

The raid led to the rescue of six additional children, bringing the total number of minors freed from the facility to seven. Police identified them as Ramsey Chiedozie (8), Rafael Rofiu (6), Kazeem Chiedozie (6), Segun Uthman (9), Ola Abdulhakeem Abdulrasheed (9), David Oyelese (9), and Samuel Honesty (6).

In a rare moment of relief amid the grim revelations, the police confirmed that Samuel Honesty has since been reunited with his mother, bringing closure to what they described as a deeply traumatic ordeal.

More disturbing details emerged during the operation. Officers discovered two pregnant teenagers, both aged 18, inside the facility.

According to investigators, the young women confessed they had been recruited to carry pregnancies for the sole purpose of selling their babies to pre-arranged buyers at ₦1.5 million per child, allegedly coordinated by the orphanage operator.

The principal suspect, Joy Chiedozie, 36, popularly known as Madam Joy, was arrested at the orphanage. Police said she admitted to purchasing the abducted child for ₦1.5 million, with ₦900,000 paid in cash and ₦600,000 transferred through a bank to an accomplice identified only as “Kelly”, before selling the child to a buyer, Mr. Emmanuel, who is currently on the run.

Further investigations revealed that the orphanage’s driver, Yusuf Adebowale, 31, allegedly acted as an uncertified surrogate agent, linking pregnant girls with prospective buyers.

Other suspects arrested include Martins Favour (18), Tanimola Martins (18), and Rachael Chiedozie (16).

The remaining six rescued children have been handed over to the Ogun State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for protective custody, welfare assessment and family tracing.

Police said investigations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing buyer and other members of the trafficking network, trace financial transactions, identify additional victims and accomplices, and dismantle the wider syndicate.

Reaffirming zero tolerance for child trafficking, illegal adoption and the exploitation of vulnerable children and young women, CP Ogunlowo urged members of the public to report suspicious orphanage operations and trafficking activities, assuring that the Command remains resolute in safeguarding lives and upholding the rule of law.