The third season of Al Jazeera’s award-winning Africa Investigatesseries continued last night with Nigeria’s Baby Farmers, where journalists Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Rosemary Nwaebuni went undercover to buy a baby in Nigeria.
UNESCO first reported on cases of ‘baby harvesting’ in Nigeria in 2006. “Here,
childless marriages are sometimes seen as shameful, or even troubled by witchcraft,” says Anas. “At the same time, single mothers are frowned upon and abortion is illegal. Legal adoption takes a long time, so some couples try a short cut. And some unscrupulous people match the unwanted babies with childless couples for money, against the law.”
childless marriages are sometimes seen as shameful, or even troubled by witchcraft,” says Anas. “At the same time, single mothers are frowned upon and abortion is illegal. Legal adoption takes a long time, so some couples try a short cut. And some unscrupulous people match the unwanted babies with childless couples for money, against the law.”
Anas and Nwaebuni pose as a couple who have been unable to have a child in 12 years of marriage, and who are now being pressured to divorce by his parents.
Equipped with a secret camera, they visit private clinics and orphanages to find out how easy it is to buy a child illegally, with no questions asked.
They are offered a baby at Destiny’s Child orphanage in Ulakwo by Ada Ezeoyi, for $4 000 for a girl or $5000 for a male child.
They are also offered a baby by Basic Clinic and Maternity Home in Imo State, owned by Doctor Ohaeri. They are asked for a similar figure.
They also expose unethical medical practise by Akinbode Damilola, a so-called miracle doctor who operates from a pharmacy in Delta State offering bogus fertility treatments.
“We were not able to care for a stranger’s child ourselves, so we backed out of the deal,” says Anas. “Our investigation has shone a light on parts of a sinister network. It involves genuine doctors and cynical staff in orphanages, who will sell vulnerable children to the highest payer. We have passed our evidence on to the authorities so that justice can prevail.”
Africa Investigates is a groundbreaking Al Jazeera series that gives some of Africa’s best journalists the opportunity to pursue high-level investigative targets across the continent - using their unique perspective and local knowledge to put corruption, exploitation and abuse under the spotlight. Previous documentaries in the series have won One World Media and Mohamed Amin Africa Media awards.
Nigeria’s Baby Farmers repeats on Al Jazeera English on 4 December 2015 at 04:30, 5 December at 17:30, and 6 December at 06:30 CAT.
WATCH THE FULL DOCUMENTARY
That's some serious ishhh..
ReplyDeleteIts not a new thing in Nigeria. Has been happening for ages.
DeleteThe young girls that get pregnant and are not ready for motherhood drop their kids with such hospitals. At least its better than birthing the child and killing him/her.
This is one of the reasons i always pray for BIAFRA to granted...
DeleteI swear nigeria will be great again.
No more drug traffickers at airports because they will all be biafrans..
Go give them BIAFRA pls.
GIVE THEM BIAFRA....Lol...bettt what do we do with the other traffickers on this list? Send them to Siberia right? They can't be Nigerians...it so not possible
DeleteElabor Francis, 68, from Edo State, Nwachia Hypolitus, 48, from Imo State, Innocent Omorogie, 35, from Lagos, Omozua Emmanuel Omoruyi, 26, from Edo State, Tommiwa Kolly Jas, 40, from Ogun State, Ogunsanwo Ogunniran, 29, from Lagos State, Ani Humphrey Chiedozi, 50, from Enugu State, Lawal Shamsudeen, 49, Lagos, Akinsola Rashida Olayinka, 46, Lagos State, and Adebayo Emmanuel, 46, Kwara,
Others are: Amadi Okechukwu Mummee, 55, Imo State, Aduleja Anthony, 53, Ekiti State, Ojomu Babatunde, 29, Lagos State, Oyetunji Oyediran, 47, Oyo State, Anyaegbu Chukwubuike, 45, Anambra State, Ezebuike Princewill, 46, Imo State, Sofunwa Albert Olatunji, 54, Ogun State, Shennaike Adegoke Adebayo, 48, Lagos State and Oragbon Michael
Hmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteYour comment will be visible after approval.
As in ehn,wen I saw it,i ws lik waoo,see d way d doc&his wife who re in d bizness talking abt d prices of babies,i had bumps all over.
DeleteNa wah oo
ReplyDeletebabies now sold like commodities.
Nothing new
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about this baby factory ish.
ReplyDeleteWhile some women dump their babies for dead, some are looking for...
These baby factories...Some are just a money making venture but at same time trying to put a smile on the faces of childless couples by giving them children who may have been abandoned by their biological mothers.
And the adoption process in Nigeria is a journey in itself.
The Nigerian government should have a deeper consideration on this issue.
Make adoption process somewhat easy or...I just dunno.
Putting smile on the face of childess couple through a wrong means like this, dies it justifiable to you. I don't know why Nigerians just love short cut. Even if babies are ababdoned, is it justifiable for any couple buy them like commodity through the back door ? What's bad is bad, no other name for it.
DeleteYuuuup!
DeleteI agree with your point........ Our Government should adjust the laws so that the adoption process will be less stressful.
DeleteThe adoption process may be long and frustrating though, but the joy a child brings is worth the stress. Especially considering the possibility of stealing a child, kidnapping young ladies who will be gang raped an forced to carry the babies and so many ills and despicable things that surround not adopting legally.
DeleteLet's look at rape case. Do we say because getting justice legally is though, shameful and almost impossible, the victim should now take laws into her hands? Capital NO! Hence whoever can't go through the 'though 'l process should just keep trusting the Lord. It may not be easy, but God is able.
Anon,it is not just stressful because they want you to feel the pains of bringing forth a child to the world or because they are investigating to make sure the right people get the child.... it is stressful because they will demand for bribes and still give the child to the highest bidder.
DeleteSo heart breaking.
ReplyDeleteVideo is not playing. They should be jailed
ReplyDeleteVideo not showing just audio
ReplyDeleteO my... these people only need money and Ulakwo is not too far from my home town.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder my step-mum was able to adopt a baby girl without any stress.
This is sickening
ReplyDeletePeople got to be awake. This evil could be happening just on the next building and you wont have any clue about it
ReplyDeleteChoi! Good investigative journalism. I am however worried about the ethics. I see that Rosemary is exposed as against her Ghanian counterpart. Is that not a problem for her? They said the girl that gave birth is a teenager, and although apparently she gave her consent, I'm not sure its right for her face to be so exposed, and even that of her child. NAPTIP over to you!
ReplyDeleteShameless people who have no regard for human life. If it's not manufacturing fake drugs it is drug trafficking or selling babies. Thankfully Nigeria will be rid of all these acts and practices when they all leave Nigeria for their new country.
ReplyDeleteThey will take their business with them to speed up the development of their new country.
I swear,,lets pray harder for them to leave sooner,,,i cant wait.
DeleteNo more drug traffickers arrested at airports, or Nigerians deported.
Yea...pray harder pray about BABA SALA too..so the scanners don't spot such an "innocent" citizen of being a drug mule
DeletePray harder for all the deported Nigerians in the list below, while you are at it , we don't mind if you develop selective amnesia while scanning the list and praying in tongues:
Elabor Francis, 68, from Edo State, Nwachia Hypolitus, 48, from Imo State, Innocent Omorogie, 35, from Lagos, Omozua Emmanuel Omoruyi, 26, from Edo State, Tommiwa Kolly Jas, 40, from Ogun State, Ogunsanwo Ogunniran, 29, from Lagos State, Ani Humphrey Chiedozi, 50, from Enugu State, Lawal Shamsudeen, 49, Lagos, Akinsola Rashida Olayinka, 46, Lagos State, and Adebayo Emmanuel, 46, Kwara,
Others are: Amadi Okechukwu Mummee, 55, Imo State, Aduleja Anthony, 53, Ekiti State, Ojomu Babatunde, 29, Lagos State, Oyetunji Oyediran, 47, Oyo State, Anyaegbu Chukwubuike, 45, Anambra State, Ezebuike Princewill, 46, Imo State, Sofunwa Albert Olatunji, 54, Ogun State, Shennaike Adegoke Adebayo, 48, Lagos State and Oragbon Michael Osai, 43, Edo State.
PRAY PASTOR PRAY *clicks tongue*
Na wa
ReplyDeleteThe major problem with this 'trade' in babies is the total lack of background checks on the couple adopting the babies. With the ease at which these transactions are carried out, even people that need babies for rituals or slavery can get hold of the innocents without any trace or consequences. There is a need for the adoption laws to be made easier and confidential to avoid such as it takes upwards of one year to legally adopt a child. Government can modify the adoption process using ideas obtained from this criminal trade to work out a more convenient way of processing adoptions. There may be the need for intending couples to be linked with potential mothers, supervised by government appointee, foot the bills for antenatal care, through delivery to post natal care for mother and child. While waiting for the arrival of the child, security checks are carried out by special investigative team on the intending parents. Records will be sealed by law and can only be opened after the child's 18th birthday,if need be or by a court subpoena. In a country without social security,or legal abortion or well funded orphanages, it will be foolish to totally clamp down on the current process. what is needed is a modification of this process which is guided solely by greed and financial gain. Lets face it, most of these unwanted children are saved from illegal abortions and are able to live a better life as most adopting parents are affluent.
ReplyDeletea.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
ReplyDelete.
The pain and suffering of the mum..... The world is wicked abeg....
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***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Nawa for u Edwin chinedu Azubuko are MTN "any where u go".u no de rest?
DeleteAdoption should be made easy and and cheap
ReplyDeleteOh Lord.....if there is no demand supply would stop, even orphanage that suppose to act as succour to this little kids are even part of the evils , save us lord
ReplyDelete