Nine pregnant women have been rescued from a baby factory in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The victims were rescued by officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the agency said on Thursday.
In a statement, spokesperson of NAPTIP, Vincent Adekoye, said the baby factory is situated at one of the sprawling estates in the Ushafa area of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to Adekoye, that the raid on the facility followed a tip-off from a concerned citizen.
“The victims were locked up in a rented apartment inside the estate by a yet-to-be-identified suspected trafficking agent after recruiting them through an online platform,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, NAPTIP secured the conviction and sentencing of a prominent Abuja Bishop who raped a member’s daughter in March 2023.
He said a Federal High Court in Gudu presided by Justice Adebiyi Osolo sentenced the rapist bishop to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The 52-year-old bishop identified as Kenneth Duke is said to be the founder of a prominent church located at Dantata Zuba Expressway.
He raped the victim, aged 12, on March 6, a day after she arrived at his residence so that his wife could enrol her for a skills acquisition programme.
“The 52-year-old convict, an indigene of Cross River State, was dragged to Court by NAPTIP for raping a 12-year-old girl (name withheld), the daughter of his church member who was entrusted under the care of his family.
“In case no: CR/702/2023 Federal Republic of Nigeria Vs Bishop Kenneth Duke, the defendant was arraigned before Court 16 on 02/11/2023 on a two-count charge for the offence of rape and intentionally causing emotional and psychological abuse on the victim,” Adekoya stated.
Adekoya said NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Adamu-Bello, lauded the judiciary for the landmark judgement.
