The police in Lagos have arrested a traditional medical practitioner, Olawale Onalaja, for allegedly selling a week-old baby to a couple for N300,000 in the Iyana Ipaja area of the state.
The couple, Dele and Oluwakemi Ayangbile, who had also been arrested by the police, allegedly paid the sum to the native doctor before taking the baby to their apartment in the Mile 12 area.
The mother of the baby, 29- year old Idiat Babatunde, a former student of a polytechnic in Osun State, was allegedly preparing for her convocation when she was delivered of the baby on Saturday, December 5, 2016.
It was gathered that after the delivery, Idiat, who had a quarrel with her husband, Akinola Babatunde, had taken the baby to Onalaja, said to be a family friend, and requested that he kept the child for her while she travelled to school.
I paid him N300,000, and brought the baby home. But after three days, the police came to arrest us
Onalaja, who lived in Ikola Odunsi Street in Iyana Ipaja, however, allegedly invited the Ayangbiles and sold the baby to them for N300,000.
It was learnt that when Idiat returned from school, Onalaja lied that the baby was in the custody of a government-owned orphanage, where he would be properly taken care of.
It was also gathered that the buyers, the Ayangbiles, took the then one week-old baby to their rented apartment, but their suspicious landlord was said to have reported the matter at the Ipaja Police Divisional Headquarters after the baby had been with the couple for three days.
The police thereafter arrested the Ayangbiles, and also picked up Onalaja.
Ayangbile’s wife, Oluwakemi, said she had been barren since 2009 when they got married, adding that Onalaja, who was a family friend, had earlier advised her to adopt a child. She said, “I have known the traditional doctor since 2014. I got married in 2009 and I used to have miscarriages. It was while looking for treatment that I met him. In 2016, he advised that I should adopt a baby, but I did not agree.
“Two Mondays ago, he called me on the telephone and said I should meet him. He told me that he had a baby at hand to give us, adding that he would obtain all the necessary papers. I then discussed it with my husband and he said we should go for the baby since Onalaja was going to get the papers. He did not tell us that the baby’s mother was not aware of the transaction.
“I paid him N300,000, and brought the baby home. But after three days, the police came to arrest me and my husband. We have been barren for six years, and we need a child. We mean no harm to the baby.”
Onalaja, however, told our correspondent he collected only N156,000 from the couple, which was the sum to process papers from the government ministry in Alausa.
“The agreement between the mother of the baby and I was that I would take the baby to an orphanage. The mother agreed to collect the baby back after three months in government custody.
“It is true that I collected N156,000 from Kemi and gave the baby to her. I wanted to take the baby to Alausa to register in an orphanage. But I was called over the telephone that the couple have been arrested by the police. That was how I was also arrested. I do not sell babies. The mother is known to me,” he said.
The mother of the baby, Idiat, said she had a quarrel with her husband, who was away in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and she gave the baby to Onalaja so that she could concentrate on her academics.
The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the baby had been reunited with the parents, while the suspects would be charged to court.
