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.
Reports indicate that the suspect, who lives in Igbogbo in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, claimed he sold the infant to raise money for their mother’s burial.
The child’s mother later reported the incident to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Olohundare Jimoh, has ordered that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), SCID Panti, for further investigation.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos on Friday, the suspect reportedly admitted to the act and blamed his actions on financial hardship.
He explained that he met the woman who bought the baby through the social media platform Facebook.
“Poverty pushed me into doing it. My sister initially agreed to the arrangement,” he said.
According to him, the woman who wanted the child asked him to bring the baby to the Mile 2 area after their discussions.
“I went there with my sister. A man sent by the buyer collected the baby, and the woman transferred N2 million into my bank account,” he explained.
The suspect said he gave his sister N500,000 from the money, while the rest was used to organise their mother’s burial.
He also claimed that after the burial, his sister began demanding the return of the baby and accused him of using charms to persuade her to agree to the deal.
“My sister later said she didn’t know the baby had been sold and reported the case to the police, which led to my arrest,” he added.
The suspect further said he did not personally know the buyer and had no information about where she lives, noting that attempts to reach her through the phone number used during the transaction have failed.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SCID, Dayo Akinbisehin, confirmed that investigations into the case are ongoing.
He added that the suspect would be charged in court once the investigation is completed.