Traditional Herbal Doctor sells 1 week old baby for N300,000

                          Onalaja, Oluwakemi and Dele

Lagos state police have arrested Mr. Olawale Onalaja, a traditional-medicine doctor for allegedly selling a one week-old baby to a couple Dele and Oluwakemi Ayangbile, for N300,000 in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos.

It was learnt that the 29 year old mother of the baby, Idiat Babatunde, had her baby on September 5th. Then on Sept 13th, she had a misunderstanding with her Husband, Akinola Babatunde, and because she had to travel to school for her convocation, she took the 8 days old baby to Onalaja, who was supposed  to be a family friend and asked him to watch the infant until she returned from school, a Polytechnic in Osun State.

However, as soon as she left, he contacted the Ayangbiles and sold the baby to them for N300,000.

So when Idiat returned from school, she went straight to Onalaja to pick up her baby, however, he lied to her that the baby was in the custody of a government-owned orphanage where he would be properly taken care of.

In regards to the Ayangbiles, they took the infant home but tafter 3 days, their suspicious landlord who knew Kemi Ayangbile hadn't been pregnant but now had a new born baby was said to have reported the matter at the Ketu Police Division.

According to Punch Metro, the police visited the Ayangbiles, arrested them and also picked up Onalaja.

Kemi, said she had been trying to get pregnant since she got married in 2009 to no avail. She said Onalaja was a family friend who had advised her to adopt a child.

She said:

“I have known the traditional doctor since 2013. I got married in 2009 and I used to have miscarriages. It was while looking for treatment that I met him. In 2014, 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 my husband and I. We have been barren for six years, and we need a child. We mean no harm to the baby.”

Onalaja on the other hand denied selling the baby to the couple, he said he only took N156,000 from them which was needed to process adoption papers from the government ministry in Alausa.

He said, “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’s 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 on the telephone that the couple was arrested by the police. That was how I was also arrested. I do not sell babies. The mother is known to me.”

The mother of the baby, Idiat, said:

“I had a quarrel with my husband, and so he was not at home when the baby was born.

“I gave the baby to Onalaja a week after while I went to school. It was when I returned that I realised that my baby had been sold. But I am happy to be reunited with him.”

A police source, however, said the mother of the baby knew about the sale of the baby.

The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the baby had been reunited with the parents, while the suspects would be charged to court.

He said:

“Although the baby has been returned to the mother, he is still under the watch of the Family Support Unit of the command.

“Investigation is almost concluded, and the suspects will appear in court soon.”