A 23-year-old woman, Mary Olatayo who is alleged to have sold her three-week-old baby boy for N600,000, has been arrested by men of the Ogun State Police Command.
The suspect was arrested on 18 August, 2022, following a complaint from the father of the baby, who lodged a report at the Mowe Divisional Police Headquarters.
This is contained in a press release, AZ:5310/OGS/PRO/VOL.7/142.25/08/2022, by the Ogun Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi.
The father of the baby said he met Mary Olatayo sometimes ago and they started dating each other, adding that she got pregnant in the process and he rented an apartment for her where she lived till she was delivered of a baby boy.
“He complained further that the lady suddenly disappeared with the baby from the apartment three weeks after delivery only for her to be found in an hotel where she has gone for a hookup with another man. All efforts to know where the baby is proved futile.
“On the strength of his complaint, the DPO Mowe Division, SP Folake Afeniforo, detailed detectives to the scene where the suspect was arrested and brought to the station.
“On interrogation, Mary Olatayo confessed to the police that she has sold the baby to someone in Anambra State at the rate of N600,000.
“She confessed that it was her friend, Chioma Esther Ogbonna, who led her to the buyer in Anambra State and that they both shared the money equally,” DSP Oyeyemi stated in the release.
He also disclosed that the confession of the susoect led to the arrest of Chioma Esther Ogbonna who also corroborated Mary’s claims.
“Further investigation revealed that, Mary Olatayo, a native of Omu-Aran in Kwara stsate is a call girl, who see the baby as a disturbance to her business, hence she decided to do away with the baby.
“Fortunately for her, she has an accomplice in Chioma, a native of Imo State, who quickly contacted the buyer in Anambra State,” the police image-maker added.
He disclosed that the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
He added that the Ogun State Police boss had also directed that everything possible must be done to recover the baby.
