A baby, reportedly sold for N800,000 by a maid, has been discovered in a market in the Shomolu area of Lagos State. The alarm was initially raised by an X user, #Dannysleek, in tweets that have since been deleted. The maid, identified as Ruth Okezie from Anambra State, allegedly absconded with the baby around 2 am on Saturday, prompting a widespread social media outcry.
Following the viral report, the maid was located in Ikorodu without the baby. In her confession, she revealed that she had sold the baby for N800,000. On Monday morning, Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, announced on his X handle that the police had rescued the abandoned baby from Alade Market in Shomolu.
Hundeyin stated, “Due to intense manhunt and pressure from the police, the buyer in the early hours of today abandoned the baby in Alade Market, Shomolu. The baby was promptly rescued by the police. The baby has since been handed over to her parents after they positively identified her. Efforts are still on to apprehend the buyer who is currently on the run.”