Update on fake doctor who sold baby to childless couple for N300k

Olawale Omolaja (right) was arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for selling a week-old baby for N300,000 to a childless couple. Omolaja was arrested along with a couple Dele and Radiat Onogbile, following a tip-off.He reportedly sold the baby to the couple after they paid him N136,000 as an advance. Left is the biological mother of the baby sold.

All the suspects were caught after the couple’s landlady in the Mile 12 suburb of Lagos discovered that the woman had a new born baby without being pregnant. She was said to have notified the Ketu Police Division of the suspicious presence of a new born baby in the couple’s home. Upon interrogation, it was discovered that Mr Omolaja, billed the couple N300,000 for the baby. 

Further investigation revealed that the baby’s mother, Idiat Babatunde, a student at the Offa Polytechnic in Kwara State, initially claimed said she gave Mr Omolaja her baby in order to go and complete her clearance in school,it appears she knew about the sale of her child. Idiat, 39, claimed she left the baby in Mr Omolaja’s care because he’s a doctor and a friend to her husband.

 

It was also gathered that Idiat collected N70,000 from the 136,000 before leaving for school. She was said to have given the baby up because her supposed husband, Akiola, abandoned her after impregnating her and relocated to Rivers State.

 

Unable to fend for the child a week after it was born, she handed over the baby to Mr Omolaja, who has been the Onogbile's doctor since 2009. Their marriage was at the brink of collapse as a result of childlessness and that they were separated until the baby was handed over to them on September 14. Idiat said:

     "I gave birth in September 5 and on September 13, I gave the baby to Dr Omolaja because I needed to go back to school in order to complete my clearance so that I can go for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the next batch. I gave him the baby because I was having issues with my husband and we have been separated. I planned to spend two weeks in school and two weeks in Lagos but that same week that I went to school, I received a call that I should come and identify my baby at Ketu police station. I was surprised because I did not know what my baby could be doing in Ketu."

The childless couple said they repeatedly asked Mr Omolaja about the mother of the child but he told them that the baby's biological mother was dead. Police say all the arrested persons will be charged to court immediately after the current Sallah holidays.