After more than a decade of legal battle, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured what it describes as a watershed conviction against a couple who ran a covert baby factory in Ilutitun, Ondo State, bringing closure to victims and sending a chilling warning to traffickers nationwide.
Addressing journalists in Lagos, the Lagos Zonal Commander of the agency, Mrs. Comfort Agboko, spoke on behalf of the Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, thanking the media and partner agencies for sustained collaboration in the protracted case.
She declared that the conviction underscored NAPTIP’s resolve to pursue offenders relentlessly, “no matter their class, status or influence,” insisting that human trafficking would no longer find safe haven behind social prestige.
The convicts, Ogundeji Happiness Ayodele and Prince Ogundeji Abiodun, described as prominent socialites who operated a so-called care home, were found guilty of running a facility where underage pregnant girls were detained until delivery, after which their babies were sold.
On February 26, 2026, the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, sentenced the couple to 14 years imprisonment without option of fine. Trial Judge, F.A. Olubanjo, convicted them on a 10-count charge bordering on unlawful detention and deprivation of liberty under Section 19(c) of the Trafficking in Persons Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003.
In what Agboko described as a “double-barrel judgment,” the court ordered the forfeiture of eight vehicles, two bungalows and N4 million recovered during investigation to the Federal Government through NAPTIP. Other properties are to be auctioned, with N1 million each awarded to three victims who testified.
The case, referred to NAPTIP in January 2014 by the Nigeria Immigration Service, exposed activities at No. 10 Sarajo Street, Ilutitun, in Okitipupa Local Government Area, where young girls were held against their will pending childbirth.
Searches conducted at the premises uncovered hospital cards, luxury vehicles, cash stashed in a car trunk, residential buildings, a poultry farm and other assets suspected to be proceeds of crime. A court order secured in May 2014 authorised the sealing and attachment of the properties pending trial.
Agboko acknowledged that trafficking prosecutions in Nigeria remain arduous, largely due to the absence of designated courts. She noted that cases often restart de novo when judges are transferred, prolonging proceedings and complicating access to witnesses, some of whom relocate or withdraw.
Despite the challenges, she maintained that trafficking incidents were reducing due to aggressive sensitisation in schools, markets, churches and mosques. Increased public awareness, she said, had also led to more whistleblowing and case referrals to the agency.
Responding to allegations of misconduct, the commander insisted NAPTIP maintains strict internal discipline. Any officer found corrupt, she stressed, would be dismissed and prosecuted. She dismissed claims that victims are taken to private homes, explaining that the agency operates shelters staffed with caregivers, nurses and counsellors focused on rehabilitation and reintegration.
Agboko renewed calls for the establishment of special courts dedicated to human trafficking cases, arguing that the specialised and sensitive nature of such offences demands expedited handling. She also urged parents to take greater responsibility for their children and resist economic pressures that push vulnerable youths into exploitation.
Describing the judgment as both punitive and restorative, NAPTIP commended the judiciary, security agencies and the media for their roles in the 11-year journey to justice. “No matter how long it takes,” Agboko declared, “those who trade in human lives will face the full weight of the law.”