The Ondo State Police Command has busted a suspected baby factory in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area, rescuing five pregnant girls and a baby boy, while arresting the alleged operator identified as Ada Clement.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the breakthrough came after a 17-year-old girl, Vivian Peter, from Akwa Ibom State, escaped from the facility and reported the incident to the Ore Police Division on October 21, 2025.
Peter told investigators that she was lured to the location under the pretext of a job offer but later discovered that she and other girls were being held and forced to deliver babies for sale. The victims were reportedly kept under close watch until delivery, after which their babies were sold for ₦400,000 for female babies and ₦600,000 for male babies.
The Police said the suspect, Ada Clement, has confessed to running the illegal operation, which involved recruiting vulnerable young girls from neighboring states. One of the victims had already delivered and is receiving postnatal care at the General Hospital, Ore, while the remaining four pregnant girls are under protective custody.
Commissioner of Police Adebowale Lawal ordered a full-scale investigation into the network, assuring that all accomplices would be tracked down and prosecuted.
“We are working to ensure that every individual involved in this criminal operation is brought to justice. The safety of these young women remains our top priority,” Lawal stated.
The incident has drawn fresh attention to the recurring menace of “baby factories” in Nigeria — illegal facilities where young girls are exploited and newborns sold for adoption or trafficking. Similar operations have been uncovered in other parts of the country in recent years, with human rights groups calling for stronger laws and rehabilitation programmes for victims.
According to reports from Vanguard and Sahara Reporters, the rescued victims are receiving psychological and medical support, while investigations continue to identify potential buyers and other members of the syndicate.
The police said the suspect would be charged under Nigeria’s Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, which prescribes severe penalties for human trafficking and child exploitation.
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