Police in Lagos have arrested a man accused of selling his sister’s newborn baby for N2 million, allegedly to raise money for their mother’s burial.Authorities say investigations are ongoing as they attempt to trace the buyer and recover the child.
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.
The suspect, who lives in Igbogbo in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, reportedly told investigators that he sold the child to raise money for their mother’s burial.
According to police sources, the baby’s mother later reported the incident, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
Speaking in Lagos on Friday, the suspect admitted to the act, blaming economic hardship for his decision. He claimed his sister initially agreed to the arrangement.
He explained that he met a woman looking to adopt a child through Facebook. After negotiations, the woman asked him to bring the baby to the Mile 2 area of Lagos.
“I went to the location with my sister, where a man sent by the buyer collected the baby and the woman transferred N2 million to my account,” he said.
The suspect added that he gave his sister N500,000 from the money and used the rest to organise their mother’s burial.
However, after the burial, his sister allegedly demanded that the baby be returned, claiming she had been influenced with charms to agree to the sale.
“My sister later said she was not aware of the sale and reported me to the police, which led to my arrest,” the suspect said.
He also claimed he did not know the buyer personally and had no information about her address, adding that the phone number used during the transaction was no longer reachable.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Dayo Akinbisehin, confirmed the incident and said investigations are ongoing.
He added that the suspect would be charged to court after the investigation is completed.