Nursing mother meets undercover ‘buyer’ to sell her baby for ₦1.5m, ends up at police station instead

• A nursing mother in Owerri, Imo State, was arrested after she was allegedly caught attempting to sell her baby for ₦1.5 million, raising concerns about child trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable children.

• Journalist Chidiebube Okeoma said an individual alerted him after hearing the woman discuss plans to sell the baby. He arranged for the person to pose as a buyer before taking the woman to the police station.

• During interrogation, the woman reportedly blamed another person for encouraging her to sell the child, while the accused woman denied the claim. She also said she considered selling the baby because she did not know the father and lacked the resources to care for the child.

• The case comes shortly after an Enugu woman was jailed for three years for stealing a baby, renewing attention on child-related crimes and baby trafficking in Nigeria.

A nursing mother has been arrested in Owerri, Imo State, after she allegedly attempted to sell her baby for ₦1.5 million.

The woman was arrested on the night of Monday, November 2, after an individual reportedly alerted Imo-based journalist Chidiebube Okeoma that they had met a woman carrying a baby and allegedly talking about selling the child.

According to Okeoma, the individual claimed the woman openly expressed her intention to sell the baby.

To avoid alerting the suspect, Okeoma said he advised the person to pretend to be interested in buying the child. A meeting was then arranged at Rock View, near the Imo State Police Headquarters in Owerri.

Okeoma said that after everyone arrived at the agreed location, he personally drove the nursing mother and the prospective "buyer" to the police station, where the woman was handed over to officers.

READ ALSO: Outrage in Imo as man pushes girlfriend’s 17-year-old sister from two-storey building

During interrogation, the suspect reportedly blamed another woman, claiming she encouraged her to sell the baby. However, the second woman denied having anything to do with the alleged plan.

The nursing mother also reportedly told investigators that she considered selling the child because she did not know the baby's father and lacked the financial means to care for the baby.

Both women are currently in police custody while police continue their investigation.

READ ALSO: Justice for 13-year-old girl as HIV-positive father gets life sentence for defiling her

The case comes just days after an Enugu State High Court sentenced a woman to three years in prison for stealing a baby. The court found her guilty after she abducted the child from a hospital, highlighting growing concerns over child trafficking and other crimes involving infants in Nigeria.

Under Nigerian law, the buying, selling or trafficking of children is a serious criminal offence. Depending on the outcome of investigations, anyone found culpable could face prosecution under child trafficking and other relevant criminal laws.