- Recent research carried out by SB Morgen indicated that women are more frequently targeted for kidnapping than men
- Reports showed that women are often subjected to forced impregnation and child trafficking exploitation in "baby-making factories”
- Nigerian lawmakers and international bodies condemned the practice, called for stronger measures to combat abuse
Recent research from SB Morgen has revealed that between July 2023 and June 2024, no fewer than 7,568 people were abducted in 1,130 incidents of kidnapping across the country, adding that women are more frequently targeted than men.
Kidnapping, particularly of women, could be linked to various forms of exploitation, including child harvesting and the establishment of so-called “baby-making factories” which refer to locations where young women and girls are impregnated, kept captive until they deliver their babies.
In June 2023, 22 pregnant teenage girls and two infants were freed from captivity in Ohafia, a local government area in Abia.
Rescue operations uncover baby factories
The women are often confined in these secluded locations, that’s the “baby-making factories” subject to forced impregnation to bear children, who are then trafficked for various purposes, including illegal adoption or exploitation in the black market.
The demand for children, combined with systemic issues such as poverty and lack of legal protections, drives this abhorrent practice. In 2006, Nigeria came under international criticism when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) coined the phrase 'baby factory' to describe this abuse.
Shortly thereafter, in 2007, authorities in Enugu State rescued 19 pregnant girls, and in 2008, over 20 teenagers were saved. The situation worsened over time. In 2009, more than six baby factories were discovered across the country. Early in 2010, 77 teenage girls were rescued in Abia. In 2011, 32 pregnant girls, with their babies slated for sale, were rescued.
Lawmakers highlight issue, call for urgent action
According to a 2018 report by the Organisation for World Peace, 160 girls were freed from a Lagos camp. Additionally, in 2019, police rescued 19 girls from various properties in Lagos State.
The House of Representatives, in March 2020, called on the Federal Government to address and eradicate the issue. Ossy Prestige, a lawmaker who proposed the motion, remarked, “According to a report by the United Nations, at least 10 babies are illegally sold every day in Nigeria, a development that is worrisome and poses a great threat to national security, especially with the global rise in human organs trafficking.”
Governor Alia, others call for immediate action to rescue medical students abducted in Benue
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Medical students travelling from the Universities of Maiduguri and Jos were abducted by gunmen in the Otukpo region of Benue State
Following the incident, Governor Alia warned criminals to leave the state and emphasised his administration’s commitment to eradicating all crime. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare labelled the kidnapping as a threat to Nigeria's health sector, demanded the immediate release of abductees.