Matilda Omonaiye/
Pink and blue mean more than colours to a syndicate selling stolen babies in Lagos, Nigeria, where pictures of 50 children sold at a maternity home were found.
The two women caught with a baby allegedly stolen in Gombe State, told the police in Lagos that a baby girl is referred to as ‘Pink’. A baby boy is called ‘Blue’. Stolen babies are generally referred to as ‘Market’.
The stolen babies are sold between N500, 000 and N1million.
The revelation was made by the police after an infant was rescued from the suspects who have been running maternity homes without being registered nurses.
They told the police that the male child found in their custody at Jakande gate, Ejigbo, was brought to them from Gombe, en-route Akure. He was to be sold for N500, 000.
Lagos State police spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana, told NewsmakersNG that the women were arrested on August 26, 2019, at about 3.30 pm, when a police officer with the Motor Traffic Section of Ejigbo Police Division, who was controlling traffic at Jakande Gate, Ejigbo, noticed a commotion close to her duty post.
Elkana said that the policewoman intervened and discovered that the brouhaha was about a 24-year-old lady, Gift Michael, who was found with an infant.
Elkana stated, “In her company was a ‘Madam’, one Florence Nkem Douglas aged 50years, both of Ijegun area of Isheri. They were about to be mobbed due to the alarm raised by those who had been trailing them from their residence in Ijegun as the whole community had been suspecting them for long for being in the business of buying and selling of babies in their Maternity Clinic, but for the timely intervention of the traffic policewoman.
“The two above named women with the baby were rescued to Ejigbo Divisional Police Headquarters, where an in-depth investigation was conducted. Investigation revealed that the said Florence Douglas, a native of Igueben, in Edo State, who is not a registered Nurse operates two maternity clinics named Flofidel Clinic and Maternity Homes with branches in Shosanya Street, I82, Ijegun Road and Okunola Ijagemo areas. On interrogation, the said Florence admitted to having been in the business of sales of babies for a while. She revealed that a baby girl is referred to as “PINK” while a baby boy is called “BLUE”, and are both referred to as “MARKET”. She further confessed that the male baby found in their custody at Jakande gate Ejigbo, suspected to be a week old was brought to her from Gombe, en-route Akure and was to be sold for N500, 000.
“The rescued baby who appeared sick, with symptoms suspected to be jaundice, was promptly taken to the hospital for medical attention.
“Worthy of mention are pictures of about 50 different babies in the phone of the suspect, suspected to have already been sold off. Babies are usually sold between N500, 000 and N1million depending on their sex.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Mr Zubairu Muazu, has ordered the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba to take over the investigation and ensure that other members of the syndicate are apprehended.
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