By: Emmanuel Onwubiko

There was this authoritative but dreadful report from a global rating body that stated that Nigeria is the most dangerous place on earth to be born. Aside the spiralling cases of child mortality and morbidity, Nigeria has been made a dangerous place by political leaders due to unprecedented violence and terrorism all over the length and breadth of Nigeria. There were two other corollary or corresponding reports that sounded frightening and alarming one of which was released in 2023 which says that Nigeria is the 15th most criminally disturbed nation in the World.
The second report said that Nigeria is the third most terrorised nation after Afghanistan and Syria under erstwhile president Assad. What makes Nigeria dangerous, indeed too dangerous for new borns is due to the collapsing national healthcare system and the fact that public health care system is non-existent. The fact is that millions of children are actually born as we speak outside of the hospital environment due to absence of any kind of health care facilities. For instance, in Imo state, most populated centres don’t have functional primary healthcare facilities so much so that families travel for many miles to go to Okigwe, Orlu or Owerri to attend the existing private hospitals and the very few poorly equipped publicly owned hospitals.
Again, Nigeria has no centralised agency to care for the children like it is in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and many other industrialised countries. Nigeria has a certain ministry of Women Affairs but there is no ministry of Children Affairs like it is obtained for instance in Great Britain whereby Nigeria gained political independence in 1960. In Great Britain, there is a Minister of State (Minister for Children and Families) with the following
Organisations: Department for Education and these responsibilities as would be disclosed in the subsequent paragraphs.
The minister’s responsibilities include:
*child protection (including protection from child sexual exploitation and safeguarding),
*local authority children’s social care and family law;
*children in care, care leavers and adoption
childcare policy including delivery of the 30 hours free childcare offer, inspection and regulation;
*Early years policy including inspection, regulation and literacy and numeracy;
Other functions of the minister in charge of children affairs are for: *funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities (pupil premium and pupil premium plus);
*funding and policy on free school meals
special educational needs and disabilities;
*school sports and healthy pupils
cadets and military ethos in the education system; and
Improving social mobility in the 12 opportunity areas.
Some states of the federation have child welfare departments under the ministries of Women Affairs but there is no single structured, institutional and systematic platform dedicated for affairs of children. This absence is the reason there are multidimensional crimes by adults against children including child rape and sexual violations, domestic abuses, child trafficking and the mother of all organised crimes against Nigerian children known as the phenomenon of BABY FACTORIES.
Ben Shemang, an experienced journalist recently penned a historical piece on why Nigeria’s ‘baby factories’ continue to thrive and this was published 03/18/2024.
He reports that child traffickers in Nigeria often kidnap girls and young women, take them to isolated places, and impregnate them. When they give birth, their babies are sold to childless couples.
A pregnant woman who was freed by police officers with other girls and women that had been held captive in Lagos, Nigeria
Some young female Nigerians told DW that they remain vulnerable because of their poor living conditions.
So-called baby making factories are facilities in Nigeria to which girls and young women are lured, impregnated and held against their will until they give birth.
The “factories” are usually small, illegal facilities parading as private medical clinics that house pregnant women and subsequently offer their babies for sale.
In some cases, young women have been held against their will and raped before their babies are sold on the black market.
The practice is largely prevalent in the southeastern states of Abia, Lagos, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
Around 200 underground baby factories have been shut over the last five years, according to Nigerian security agencies, however new facilities open to replace the closed ones.
He reported that earlier last March, police officers stormed a hideout in Abia where they rescued 16 pregnant girls and eight young children.
Maureen Chinaka, a police spokeswoman revealed that the rescued girls were between the ages of 17 and 27 and had been told that they would be paid to leave the baby factories without their babies.
Last June, 22 pregnant young girls and two babies were rescued from a facility in the same state, where they had been held hostage.
Why do the factories exist?
There is a thriving market for babies among couples who are struggling to bear their own children. They are willing to pay between 1 million naira (€576) and 2 million naira (€1,152) for a baby.
There is a higher demand for male babies, which tend to be sold at a higher price than baby girls.
Clare Ohunayo, a Nigerian activist and educationist, told DW that as long as there is demand for babies, the practice will prevail.
Supplying a demand
Ohunayo blames it on high levels of poverty and the stigma that comes with being a childless couple in Nigeria.
“The desperation that drives the baby factory has two sets of players. The first set is driven by the fear of poverty as a result of the socio-economic conditions of Nigeria,” she said.
Those who own these facilities where the girls are kept, the men who impregnate them, and the girls themselves are all pushed into it by poverty, according to Ohunayo.
Some young female Nigerians told DW that they remain vulnerable because of their poor living conditions.
“This baby booming industry, even though it has been in existence, the reason it’s coming up [is] because people are really really stressed in terms of striving for a daily living,” a young resident of Abuja said.
Another Abuja resident told DW that: “We are experiencing an increase in crime rates due to hardship and poverty.”
But not everyone blames it on poverty.
“Actually I think what is causing this menace has to do with moral decadence. Immoral people are desperate to make money. This is why you see this kind of thing happening, but to me I think it’s very bad,” said one Nigerian man.
Giving birth to children is considered significant in many African societies, and often couples unable to have their own children face humiliation, even from family members.
The demand for male children makes the practice especially lucrative, according to police officials.
“On the other side you have childless couple who want to avoid the stigma of [being] childless,” said Ohunayo, describing a major cultural factor behind the baby factories.
A foster family with a difference
Ending the baby factory business
Florence Marcus, a lawyer with the Abuja-based Disability Rights Advocate Center told DW there are laws to help tackle the menace.
“This issue of baby factories is a gross violation of the rights of the victims, especially these young ladies who are often taken to these facilities without their consent,” she said.
“The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act prohibits all forms of violence against person, particularly women and girls. The law provides maximum protection and effective remedies for the victims and also punishment for the offenders.”
Several arrests have been made across the Nigerian states in which the practice is prevalent.
Zakaria Dauda, spokesman for the National Agency for the Prohibition in Trafficking in Persons, a government body, told DW that the organization will continue to make arrests and ensure that pepatrators are punished.
“We know [with] the issue of baby factory most victims are usually young girls. We warn people of the dangers of such vices,” he said.
“And those who become suspects, we take them [in] for people to also know that there is a crime being perpetrated called sale of babies.”
Besides, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP has expressed grave concern over the escalating incidents of baby factories and child trafficking across the country.
The then Director-General of the agency, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, revealed that there had been a surge in reports and public outcry regarding the sale of babies and the existence of clandestine facilities that exploit vulnerable individuals, including young girls and minors.
Waziri-Azi, in a statement signed by NAPTIP’s Communication Officer, Adekoya Vincent, cited the recent uncovering of a baby factory in Abia State by the Department of State Services (DSS) as one of numerous reports.
She said, “One of the most recent incidents occurred in Umunkwa village, located in the Umuafai Ndume Ibeku area of Umuahia North Local Government, Abia State, where ten victims were rescued from a baby factory,” she said.
“The victims, aged between one and twenty-four years, included seven young girls, six of whom are pregnant, one lactating mother, and two boys who are minors. The factory was operated by a 63-year-old woman, Chinyere Nkwocha, who was apprehended by the DSS. The victims and suspects have been handed over to NAPTIP for further investigation and action.”
Below are some cases reported by NAN so far in the year and can be subsequently tracked for progress.
2 January, Rivers (South-south):
Police arrest couple over rape, assault of minor
The police in Rivers State confirmed the arrest of a couple over alleged rape and assault of a13-year-old girl in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South-South Nigeria.
The wife reportedly assaulted the girl by stripping her and inserting pepper into her private part after accusing her of having sexual intercourse with her husband.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, a superintendent of police, disclosed the arrest of the girl in an interview with NAN in Port Harcourt on 2 January.
Goodness, the mother of the teenager, whose full name was withheld to avoid stigmatisation, recounted the incident to NAN.
A resident of Rupokwu town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Goodness revealed that the assault on her daughter occurred on the evening of 29 December 2024.
According to her, earlier that day, the wife visited her shop and asked the teenager to follow her to her apartment and assist her with chores.
Goodness, who said she was later alerted to the assault on her daughter by neighbours, recalled that on the fateful day, the man sent his wife and her friend on an errand, leaving the teenager alone with him in the house.
The distraught mother reported that after the two women had left the apartment, the man attacked her daughter and allegedly raped her multiple times, threatening her to remain silent.
Prince Wiro, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, condemned the alleged torture of the minor, calling it inhumane and barbaric.
8 January, Bauchi (North-east):
Man arrested for raping girl in uncompleted building
On 8 January, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Command in Bauchi State, North-east Nigeria, announced the arrest of a suspect accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in an uncompleted building in Misau Local Government Area of the state.
The State Commandant of NSCDC, Oloyede Oyerinde, said the rape suspect was arrested on 27 December for allegedly raping the girl in an uncompleted building.
Mr Oyerinde announced the arrest of Mr Oyerinde alongside nine others detained for various crimes committed during the 2024 yuletide period.
The official, who said the other suspects were arrested for vandalism and theft, warned perpetrators to desist from vandalism and other crimes or face consequences.
9 January, Ekiti (South-west):
38-year-old man allegedly raped minor in uncompleted building
A chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti remanded a 38-year-old man, Olasunkanmi Francis, in the Ado Ekiti Correctional Centre for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old minor.
The prosecutor, Elijah Adejare, a police inspector, told the court at the hearing on 9 January, that the defendant committed the offence on 23 December 2024 at Efon Alaaye-Ekiti.
The defendant allegedly lured the minor into an uncompleted building and defiled her while she was on an errand.
The prosecution said the offence contravened section 31 of the Child Right Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The magistrate, Kehinde Awosika, ordered the remand of the defendant in the correctional centre, pending legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
She adjourned the case until 7 February for mention.
10 January, Edo (South-south):
Other most dangerous crimes against children of Nigeria are the rampant cases of violent sexual abuses of children just as the not too far away from now,the police detained three men for the alleged gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Umoru Ozigi, said this on Friday, 10 January, in Benin, the Edo State capital, South-south Nigeria, when the Administrator, Office of Edo State First Lady, Edesili Anani, visited him.
Ms Anani said the minor was allegedly gang-raped by five men on 24 December 2024, at Igiafodo Awuyemi in Okpella.
She said the girl had visited the victim at the Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma Women Centre, Benin.
She vowed that perpetrators would face the full wrath of the law in accordance with the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law of the state.
Mr Ozigi, who did not disclose the identities of the suspects, assured the administrator that the victim would get justice.
13 January, 2025, Lagos (South-west):
Father faces charges for allegedly defiling his toddler.
The report stated that in another heart-wrenching case, a father, Patrick Onyegbule, was accused of defiling his toddler.
On 13 January, police in Lagos State charged 41-year-old Mr Onyegbule at a chief magistrate’s court in Badagry.
The prosecutor, Ayodele Adeosun, a police inspector, told the court that the defendant committed the offence between August and November 2024 at Shapview Plaza, Alaba International Market in Ojo, Lagos State.
He alleged that the defendant sexually assaulted the toddler, who was left in his care.
The wife reportedly left the toddler in her husband’s care following a marital dispute. However, she later discovered during a visit that her daughter was allegedly sexually abused by him.
Mr Onyegbule faces charges of defilement and unlawful penetration.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Code, Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The magistrate, Patrick Adekomaiya, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
He adjourned the case till 5 March.
14 January, Lagos (South-west):
Man in court over alleged rape
The Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, ordered the remand at the correctional service, of a defendant, Shuaibu Olufowobi, who allegedly raped a 35-year-old woman.
The judge, Rahman Oshodi, ordered the remand of the defendant, following his arraignment on five counts of conspiracy, rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual harassment and assault.
The prosecutor, Bukola Okeowo, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on 15 August 2023 alongside others at large in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.
She alleged that the defendant with one Franklin Immana at large conspired to rape the woman.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant kept watch, while Mr Immana raped the woman.
Mr Okeowo, further alleged that the defendant harassed and fondled the victim’s breasts and later stripped her.
The offences contravened the provisions of sections 173, 211, 260, 261, 264 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
The court adjourned the case until 6 May for trial.
15, January, Lagos (South-west):
54-year-old man remanded for defiling 12-year-old girl
On 15 January, a chief magistrate’s court in Ikorodu in Lagos State, remanded a 54-year-old man, Kajola Ahmed, in a correctional centre for allegedly defiling a 12-year-old girl.
The prosecutor, Aminu Isaac, an assistant superintendent of police, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at 28, Tomatee Hotel Street, Ajegunle in the Ita-Oluwo area of Ikorodu, about 11 a.m. on 17 July 2024.
According to him, the offence contravened the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The magistrate, B.A. Sonuga did not take the defendant’s plea.
Instead, he adjourned the case until 27 February for legal advice from the office of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
15 January, Kaduna:
74-year-old allegedly rapes an 8-year-old
On 15 January, Samson Goje, 74 years old, was remanded for raping a minor in Zonkwa, Kaduna State, North-west Nigeria. The victim was an eight-year-old girl.
Mr Goje allegedly lured the girl into an uncompleted building.
He was said to have been caught in the act by the girl’s father Yusuf Pama, who reported the matter to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on 3 January. The case was filed at a chief magistrate’s court in Kafanchan.
Copies of the case file have been forwarded to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
18 January, Lagos:
44-year-old defiles four-year-old girl
On 18 January, a chief magistrate’s court in Ikorodu, Lagos, remanded a 44-year-old man, Stephen Samson, in a correctional centre for allegedly defiling a four-year-old girl.
Mr Samson was charged with defilement.
The prosecutor, Aminu Isaac, an assistant superintendent of police, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at No. 7, Araromi Street, Eyita area of Ikorodu.
He said that the defendant defiled the girl with his finger.
The offence was said to contravene the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The magistrate, B.A. Sonuga, adjourned the case till 27 February for legal advice from the office of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
20 January, Lagos (South-west):
Hearing impaired 30-year-old remanded for raping 17-year-old minor
On Monday (20 January), a chief magistrate’s court in Badagry, Lagos State, South-west Nigeria, remanded a 30-year-old man with hearing impairment, Temitope Holo, in Awarjigoh correctional facility over alleged defilement of a 17-year-old girl.
The prosecutor, Ayodele Adeosun, a police inspector, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in July 2024 at No. 18, Oba Beyioku Street, beside Winners’ Chapel, Badagry, Lagos.
Mr Adeosun said the defendant unlawfully removed the girl’s pants and penetrated her private part with his finger without her consent.
The offences, according to him, contravened sections 261 and 263 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The magistrate, Patrick Adekomaiya, directed the police to forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
He adjourned the case till 2 April for mention.
21 January, Lagos (South-west):
Court remands man for raping 14-year-old minor
The Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja remanded a man, Chidi Gabriel, at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl.
The prosecutor, a State Counsel, Bukola Okeowo, told the court that the defendant unlawfully had sexual intercourse with the minor by inserting his manhood into her vagina on 23 June 2020 in Okokomaiko Junction, Alaba in Lagos.
Mr Gabriel pleaded not guilty to all three counts of defilement filed against him.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offence contravened section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
After his plea, the judge, Rahman Oshodi, ordered his remand at the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre.
The judge adjourned the case until 7 May for the commencement of trial.
22 January, Kaduna (North-west):
34-year-old man remanded for raping 7-year-old girl
A magistrate’s court in Kaduna, Kaduna State, remanded a 34-year-old man, Yusuf Mamman, in a correctional centre, for allegedly defiling a seven-year-old girl.
The prosecutor, Chidi Leo, a police inspector, told the court that the defendant lured the minor into his room and raped her at about 1 p.m. on 19 January at Ungwan Sarki, Kaduna State.
He said that the offence is punishable under Section 258 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2020 (as amended).
The magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional centre pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
He adjourned the matter until 24 February.
27 January, Ekiti (South-west):
Court remands man, 27, for allegedly defiling wife’s 14-year-old sister
A chief magistrate’s court in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, has scheduled 27 January for a hearing regarding the case of a 27-year-old man, Ayeni Gbenga, accused of defiling his wife’s 14-year-old sister.
On 27 December 2024, the magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, ordered the remand of the defendant in the correctional centre in Ado Ekiti, pending issuance of legal advice from the Ekiti State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The prosecutor, Akinwale Oriyomi, a police inspector, told the court that the defendant defiled the girl, his wife’s younger sister, between October and December 2024 in Ado Ekiti.
He said that whenever the defendant took the victim to her school, he would check into a hotel to rape her. He reportedly did this on many occasions.
The police said the offence contravened section 265 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
The chief magistrate overseeing the case, Abayomi Adeosun, adjourned until 27 January.
Justice for victims
A glimmer of hope of justice for rape victims has also risen early in the year, it was reported recently.
On 13 January, the Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti sentenced a 25-year-old man, Olajide Fajana, to life imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old girl.
The prosecution led by Adetola Johnson had accused the convict of committing the offence on 14 July 2023 in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The prosecution called three witnesses, including the victim, and tendered statements as exhibits to prove his case, while the convict did not call any witness.
In her testimony before the court, the victim said the convict had hypnotised her and asked her to follow him home.
“He gave me an egg to rub all over my body and broke it inside a bucket where he kept black and red thread.
“He ordered me to lie down on the bed and then had sexual intercourse with me saying I should go home and bring N16,000 to complete the sacrifice,” she said. “He had earlier warned me not to tell anyone about him otherwise I would die but I told my mother.”
In his judgement, the judge, Lekan Ogunmoye, convicted and sentenced the convict of rape in line with section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C17, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
Rape cases in numbers from Benue, Ebonyi, Sokoto
Last year’s record of enforcement activities of the police in some states show that rape, including incidents involving a girl child victims, were rampant.
Of 1,270 suspects arrested last year by the police in Ebonyi State last year, 38 were involved in rape and defilement, according to a statement detailing the police command detailing the enforcement activities of the police command in the state last year.
A statement from the police command in the state said other suspects were arrested for murder and homicide, kidnapping, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of firearms and other offences.
The Benue State Police Command also said on 30 December that of 270 persons arrested for various crimes in the state from April to December, 47 of them were rape suspects.
Similarly, the police in Sokoto State, North-west Nigeria, said that of the 575 suspects arrested for various crimes last year included those accused of rape, but the suspect did not specify their number.
Punishments for child rape
Nigeria’s legal framework against child rape has evolved over the years, with state and federal laws under which suspects in the reported cases have been charged prescribing various degrees of punishments for it.
For instance, section 31 of the Child Rights Act 2003 prescribes life imprisonment for anyone convicted of raping a child.
Also, Section 32 imposes 14 years imprisonment on any person who sexually abuses or sexually exploits a child.
The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015 does not differentiate between the rape of a child and that of an adult when prescribing punishments.
In section 1(2), the law stipulates the punishment of life imprisonment for anyone above 14 years of age. For offenders below the age of 14, the maximum sentence is 14 years imprisonment. In the case of gang rape, all perpetrators are liable to a minimum of 20 years jointly without an option of a fine.
Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State prescribes life imprisonment for any person who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a child.
Also, section 265 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021, says any man who has sexual intercourse with a woman or girl without her consent is guilty of rape and is liable to imprisonment for life.
Kaduna State is among the states with the most severe punishments for child rape, after amending its Penal Code of 2017 in 2020.
The amendment to section 258 of the law, now Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2020 (as amended), prescribes “surgical castration and death” for anyone found guilty of having sexual intercourse with a male of female child the age of 14 years
Also, section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State states that “any person who sexually touches another without his consent is guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for three years.”
Lois Amele, founder of Good Tides Philippians Missions Foundation, non-governmental organisation concerned with human rights, mental health and Sexual-Gender Based Violence issues, said “One of the systemic issues is the economic issue, you know, where people are frustrated and because they are frustrated, they just feel that they should take it out on a young girl or a woman.”
She continued, “I think one of the reasons they do it to young girls is because some of those girls are not strong enough to run away or they’re not even educated enough to say, oh, this thing is wrong.”
In 2023, many cases of killings of children happened.
On Saturday, June 3, 2023, gunmen in northern Nigeria launched a devastating attack on several villages in Zamfara state, killing dozens and kidnapping children. The children were abducted while collecting firewood in a forest in Gora village.
According to Zamfara police spokesman Yazid Abubakar, 13 people were reported killed and nine young boys and girls were kidnapped during the attack on Janbako and Sakkida villages.
December 19, 2024
Tragedy struck in Ibadan, Nigeria, on December 19, 2024, when a crush at a Christmas funfair resulted in the deaths of at least 35 children, with six others hospitalized. The incident occurred at the Islamic High School in the Bashorun district, where a large crowd had gathered, with over 10,000 people reportedly turning up for the event.
The police have arrested eight people, including the main organizer, Naomi Silekunola, and President Bola Tinubu has ordered a thorough investigation. The incident highlights the economic challenges facing Nigeria, as the country grapples with its worst economic crisis in a generation.
February 1, 2025
A gruesome triple murder occurred on Saturday, February 1, 2025, in Nnewichi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Three siblings, a 5-year-old boy and two girls aged 7 and 9, were killed at their residence. According to reports, the children were eating when the killers entered their home, murdered them, and dumped their bodies inside a deep freezer in one of the rooms.
The children’s mother, Chikazor Ejezie, a lecturer and nurse, was away taking an examination, while their father, Ejezie Udochukwu, was in Edo State at the time of the incident. The police have launched an investigation, and the State Commissioner of Police has transferred the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for a thorough investigation. The bodies of the children have been recovered and taken to the morgue.
Nigeria ultimately needs to set up a separate but specialised federal ministry for children affairs to be patterned after the British model. Our vulnerable children must be protected and granted all the legal and constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights as encapsulated in chapter 4 of the Nigerian constitution of 1999 as amended.
*Emmanuel Onwubiko is the founder of HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA and was NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF NIGERIA *