ASABA — In a shocking case of child trafficking, a 26-year-old woman, Rachael, has confessed to selling her two-week-old baby for N600,000 due to financial struggles. The transaction, which involved intermediaries, saw the baby ultimately sold for N4 million to a 42-year-old woman seeking to adopt a child.
Rachael, a resident of Asaba, Delta State, was paraded by the state Police Command along with two accomplices. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Bright Edafe, confirmed the arrest and ongoing investigation into the case.
According to Rachael, she is already a mother to a young boy and found it difficult to cater for both children alone. She explained that the baby’s father denied paternity after she gave birth on January 27, 2025, leaving her in a dire financial situation.
“I gave the baby away because I am the only one taking care of the child,” she revealed.
On how she managed during pregnancy, she said: “I struggled to survive, taking on cleaning jobs in people’s compounds and doing menial work.”
She recounted how she was introduced to an intermediary who assured her that she could find a suitable arrangement. The woman handed her N600,000 and advised her to use part of it to “settle” others involved in the process. Rachael admitted she gave N30,000 to another party involved.
Further police investigations revealed that the intermediary later sold the baby for N3.5 million. The woman behind the sale confessed to giving the biological mother only N600,000, claiming Rachael wanted to use the money to start a business.
Meanwhile, the 42-year-old woman who paid N4 million for the child believed she was undergoing a legal adoption process. She stated that she was assured all the necessary documents were being arranged.
The Delta State Police Command has vowed to bring all individuals involved in the illegal transaction to justice, as investigations continue into the baby trafficking network.
