July 28, (THEWILL) — The Anambra State Government has reportedly shut down a facility operating as a hospital in Umunya, Oyi Local Government Area, after uncovering that it was being allegedly used as a baby factory.
The hospital, located at 1 School Road near Tansian University, according to a report published in a major Nigerian newspaper, was sealed last Saturday, following a raid that began on the previous day.
The report noted that officials from the state Ministry of Health, in collaboration with security agencies, arrested 15 persons, including five pregnant women and workers in the hospital during the raid. They also rescued some teenage girls from the facility.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, who led the raid, said the facility was operating with a falsified licence and was owned by a self-proclaimed medical doctor from Delta State.
Obidike alleged that the syndicate was involved in trafficking and exploiting girls aged 15, 19 and 21.
The commissioner added that the state government was determined to shut down all illegal medical establishments across the state.
“This crackdown is a significant victory in the ongoing battle against child trafficking, human rights violations and gender-based.
“This operation underscores the importance of collaboration between security agencies and health regulators. We are determined to rid Anambra State of fake medical practitioners and criminal networks that exploit the vulnerable,” the commissioner said, adding that a full investigation had commenced and the suspects would face charges for human trafficking, unlawful detention and child exploitation.
“We are issuing a stern warning to operators of unlicensed and quack facilities in the state. Shut down now or face the full weight of the law. We will not compromise the safety and dignity of our people,” he warned.
Such reports are not only common in Nigeria but also an indication that infant commodification is still existing in the country, despite efforts aimed at wiping it off.
Baby making factories, also known as baby farms, a term that refers to institutions where teenage girls or young women are voluntarily or forcefully impregnated and kept illegally until they give birth and their babies are sold for monetary gains; are usually disguised as hospitals, maternity homes and orphanages with fake licences.
It appears that such fake institutions are increasing, in spite of countless successful raids and arrests carried out by law enforcement agencies. Their continued existence, which is a reflection of moral decadence in the society, gives both government and ordinary citizens, who are mindful of the negative impact on society, cause for concern.
It is no secret that high levels of poverty and childlessness are among the leading factors associated with the existence of baby factories in Nigeria. The child traffickers who run these factories, the teenage girls that are impregnated, the men who impregnated them and the medical professionals who supervise the deliveries are all in it for money. All of them are desperate to escape the crippling poverty and hardship in the country. Except the present economic situation improves significantly, there is no guarantee that baby factories will cease to exist.
As long as there is a social stigma that comes with being a childless couple in Nigeria, baby factories will continue to exist. Indeed, investigation has shown that there is a thriving market for babies among couples who are struggling to have their own children.
Since giving birth to children is considered significant in this part of the world and couples who are unable to have their own children often face humiliation, even from their own relations, it is inevitable that baby factories will continue to enjoy a lot of patronage.
However, this is not to say that baby factories cannot be completely eradicated as they quite clearly compound the crime rate in Nigeria, particularly in terms of human trafficking. On the contrary, they can be eradicated only if government comes up with suitable strategies and actions.
For example, to help childless couples overcome the problems of infertility and childlessness, government can facilitate increased access to infertility care, provide family counseling and increase the visibility of centres which ethical infertility care and family planning.
