The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured a 14-year prison sentence against a couple convicted of operating a baby factory in Ilutitun, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Lagos Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Comfort Agboko, announced the conviction during a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Ikeja on Tuesday.
According to Agboko, the judgment followed an 11-year legal battle at the Federal High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The case dates back to January 2014 when the Nigerian Immigration Service referred the matter to NAPTIP, prompting an extensive investigation.
Investigators discovered that the convicts, Abiodun Ogundeji and Happiness Ogundeji, operated the illegal facility at their residence located at No. 10 Sarajo Street, Ilutitun. Underage pregnant girls were reportedly confined in the house against their will until delivery, after which their babies were allegedly sold to buyers.
A search of the property uncovered hospital cards, eight vehicles with keys, two bungalows, N4 million hidden in the trunk of a car, as well as a poultry farm and domestic animals.
NAPTIP subsequently obtained a court order on May 12, 2014, authorising the sealing and seizure of the properties.
Delivering judgment, Justice F. A. Olubanjo found the defendants guilty on a 10-count charge, including unlawful detention and deprivation of personal liberty, contrary to Section 19(c) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, 2003.
On Thursday, February 26, 2026, the court sentenced Ogundeji Happiness Ayodele and Prince Ogundeji Abiodun to 14 years’ imprisonment without the option of fine.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered the forfeiture of the eight vehicles, two bungalows and the N4 million recovered during the investigation to the Federal Government through NAPTIP. The properties are to be auctioned.
The court also awarded N1 million each as restitution to the three victims who testified during the protracted trial.
Describing the verdict as a landmark achievement, Agboko said the judgment sends a strong warning to human traffickers across the country.
“This is a landmark conviction that sends a clear warning to perpetrators of human trafficking that, no matter how long it takes, they will eventually face the full wrath of the law,” she said.
She commended the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigeria Police in Akure and other stakeholders for their roles in securing the conviction.
The ruling adds to NAPTIP’s growing list of convictions in its ongoing crackdown on human trafficking nationwide.