Rachael, a 26-year-old mother from Asaba, Delta State, says she never imagined she would sell her own child. But when faced with the crushing weight of poverty and single parenthood, she made a desperate choice—giving up her two-week-old baby girl for N600,000.
What she didn’t know? The baby was later sold for N4 million.
Now, Rachael, along with two accomplices, has been paraded by the Delta State Police Command after a shocking baby trafficking operation was uncovered.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Rachael explained that she already had a son and was struggling to feed him. When she found out she was pregnant again, her situation worsened. The baby’s father denied responsibility, leaving her alone to navigate the pregnancy.
Desperate, Rachael turned to a woman who promised to help her. That woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, gave her N600,000, assuring her that she would “find a better home” for the child.
Rachael used N30,000 to “settle” the woman.
But there was more to the deal than Rachael knew. The woman who took the baby resold her for N3.5 million, making a hefty profit. Meanwhile, the final buyer—a 42-year-old woman seeking to adopt—paid an even steeper price: N4 million.
“I wanted to adopt a child legitimately,” the woman explained, insisting she was told the adoption process was being handled properly.
The case has exposed yet another dark side of baby trafficking in Nigeria—a system that preys on vulnerable women who feel they have no other choice.
While Rachael now faces legal consequences, her story raises urgent questions: How many other young mothers are being forced into similar choices? And what happens to the babies caught in these underground dealings?
For now, the Delta State Police Command has vowed to investigate further. But for Rachael, the weight of her decision is one she may carry for the rest of her life.
