For over years, the gates of a popular “Care Home” in Ilu-Titun masked a sinister reality: a factory where young girls were held captive, and infants were treated as “priceless commodities” for the highest bidder.
On Thursday, that 11-year charade finally crumbled. In a landmark judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Akure, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) secured the conviction of Prince Ogundeji Abiodun and his wife, Ogundeji Happiness Ayodele.
The couple, once regarded as wealthy socialites, was sentenced to 14 years in prison without the option of a fine.
The case, which began in 2014, has been a gruelling test of endurance for the victims and the state. Presiding judge, Hon. Justice F.A. Olubanjo, found the couple guilty on 10 counts, including detaining victims against their will and the deprivation of personal liberty.
“This press conference underscores the resolve and determination of NAPTIP to ensure diligent prosecution of any offender, no matter the class, status, or position,” said Mrs Comfort Agboko, Commander of the NAPTIP Lagos Zone, during a press briefing.
Reflecting on the nature of the crime, Agboko described a cold-blooded business model. “The convicts operated a popular Care Home which was later discovered to be a ‘Baby Factory,’ where pregnancies were harvested and babies sold as commodities.”
The court did not just strip the couple of their freedom; it stripped them of the wealth built on the exploitation of underage girls. In what Mrs Agboko described as a “double-barrel judgment,” the court ordered the total forfeiture of the couple’s assets to the Federal Government.
The seized assets include eight luxury cars and two bungalows traced directly to the crime. Investigators also recovered 4 million Naira in cash, which was found hidden in the trunk of one of the vehicles during the initial 2014 raid. Furthermore, the court ordered the auctioning of other properties, including a poultry farm and various domestic animals.
In a significant move toward restorative justice, the court ordered that 1 million Naira from the proceeds of these sales be paid to each of the three victims who braved the decade-long trial to testify against their captors.
The investigation began in January 2014 following a tip-off from the Nigerian Immigration Service. When NAPTIP operatives raided the couple’s “Country Home” at No. 10 Sarajo Street, they found a fortified facility where underage girls were detained against their will, awaiting delivery so their newborns could be sold to the highest bidders.
“It is a landmark conviction that will surely serve as a deterrent,” Agboko stated. “It is a warning to perpetrators that no matter how long it takes, they will, one day, face the full wrath of the law.”
The 11-year wait for a verdict has been a source of immense pain for the survivors, but NAPTIP officials say the result justifies the struggle. By stripping the convicts of their “ill-got proceeds” and providing restitution for the victims, the agency hopes to assuage the years of trauma and exploitation.
“NAPTIP is determined to ensure the protection of Nigerians,” Agboko concluded. “We shall continue to smoke them out, whether they have big or small status. Join us to stop human trafficking in Nigeria.” #Securitynewsalert.com
