By Deborah Nnamdi with Agency report
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly selling his sister’s one-month-old baby for N2 million.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria, the suspect, a resident of Igbogbo in the Ikorodu area of the state, claimed he sold the baby to raise money for their mother’s burial.
The baby’s mother reportedly alerted the police after discovering the alleged sale, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, has ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigation.
Speaking with NAN on Friday in Lagos, the suspect, who reportedly confessed to the act, blamed poverty and economic hardship for his actions.
He said he met the woman who allegedly bought the baby on the social media platform Facebook.
The suspect explained that after negotiations with the woman, he was asked to bring the baby to Mile 2 where a man, allegedly sent by the buyer, collected the child while the woman transferred N2 million to his bank account.
He claimed he gave his sister N500,000 from the money and used the remaining funds to organize their mother’s burial.
However, he said his sister later demanded the return of the baby and accused him of using charms to convince her to sell the child. She subsequently reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.
The suspect added that he does not know the buyer personally and has no information about her address, noting that her phone number has not been reachable since the transaction.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the SCID, Dayo Akinbisehin, confirmed that investigations into the case are ongoing and stated that the suspect would be charged to court upon the conclusion of the probe.
