Posted by By JOSSY IDAM on
For couples who can't make babies of their own, a fast track, flea market of sorts for babies thrive and flourish in Lagos. Until recently, a small cluster of shanties on Janet Fajemigbesin Street, Amuwo Odofin-directly behind old Durbar Hotel and close to Festac Town, Lagos, was the hub of the booming babies bazaar.
•Twins for N450,000; Baby boy N200,000; Baby girl N150,000
For couples who can't make babies of their own, a fast track, flea market of sorts for babies thrive and flourish in Lagos.
Until recently, a small cluster of shanties on Janet Fajemigbesin Street, Amuwo Odofin-directly behind old Durbar Hotel and close to Festac Town, Lagos, was the hub of the booming babies bazaar.
Price range
Beneath the veneer of a carnival atmosphere and jolly good timers-smoking cigarettes, Indian hemp, guzzling beer and heady local brew-paraga, the girls and boys carry on with the business of making and selling babies to couples who need them. Aged between 14 and 25, the bunch are bold and ready to meet the request of their ever teeming customers. Ready-made twins go for N450,000, boy child N200,000 and girl baby sell for N150,000.
Relocated
The unsavory business gave the street a bad name and its decent residents petitioned the state government. Further prompted by an earlier report by Saturday Sun, the authorities rolled in bulldozers and demolished the shanties. As though to erase the blemish, the spot is now fenced with wire net and bare.
Hydra-headed
With barren couples still hot-footing it there, the girls and boys have now relocated their business to Agbo Malu, another small, shanty settlement on the banks of Agboju river just a whistling distance from Janet Fajemigbesin Street.
When Sunday Sun visited the place last Thursday evening, one of the girls, Mary, said the price of fresh babies will soon go up. Asked why, the slim heavy-busted 19 year-old-young girl attributed the intended price hike to relentless raid by security operatives.'Sometimes they come and pose like they want you to arrange for a baby for them. When you agree, you don enter wahala be that. Dem go arrest you and collect all your money," she revealed, shuddering in disgust.
Speaking to Sunday Sun after two bottles of Gordon Sparks, a half packet of White London cigarettes and a hot meal of Indomie noodles, Mary who was uptight when our reporter approached her, simmered down and revealed how she came into the business. 'When I finished secondary, money no dey for me to further, and work no dey. So, my friend help me to come here," she revealed. After two years in the business, Mary has had some lucky breaks and made some money. According to her, a chunk of the money she made went to her family in Edo State and she also shelled a good portion to ‘take good care of myself." In the business, a girl has to look good, beautiful and presentable to attract patronage.
Mixed bag
When there is a slump in the business and while waiting for the next couple or would -be single parent, Mary and her friends get by with prostitution. They walk the streets or take their patrons to their shanty bed-sitter for a whole night or short time. According to Ama, Mary's friend, a night cost N1,500. And short time-that is an hour at most, goes for N500.
Inside the flea market
The boys are essential to the entire business. When a prospective couple come, they are taken around to see, feel and select the girl and boy that could give them a beautiful, healthy baby.
To mate with the girl,the chosen lucky stud is usually paid about N20,000. When the pregnancy is certified, the couple concentrates on the would- be surrogate mother. Apart from the nominal charge, the couple takes care of the rented mother's pre- natal expenses, feeding and upkeep. The couple is,in addition expected to visit regularly and underwrite the emergency mother's delivery kits, maternity and hospital bills. The contract ends when the baby is delivered and handed over to the couple when the short-time mother and brand new baby are discharged.
Lucky orphans
Agbo Malu is not the only baby boom market in Lagos. A few weeks ago, a widow was seen negotiating to sell her triplets-two boys and a girl. Barely years old, a good spirited woman came at the nick of time when the woman had almost concluded with a buyer. The healthy triplets and handsome but harpless kids were to be sold for peanuts.
The good Samaritan drew the attention of passersby and the desperate widow was persuaded to visit Synagogue, The Church of All Nations with the triplets. As anticipated, the widow and the triplets were well-received. Speaking at a church service later, the widow said she lost her husband in an auto accident. And just then she got a quit notice from her landlord and she could no more cope with the triplets and her two older children who she had dispatched to her mother- petty trader at Mushin, Lagos. So, she thought that selling the triplets would give her a new lease and shore up her carion comfort.
Characteristic of prophet T.B Joshua and Synagogue, the widow was promptly given N300,000 and bages of rice. The upkeep and education of the triplets have now been taken over by the church.
Baby 'Mine"
About two months ago, Jennifer Emmanuel delivered a healthy, handsome baby boy in an uncompleted building at Isolo, Lagos.
As earlier reported by Sunday Sun, she was gang-raped after running away from her Obubra village home, Cross River State. When her attempts to terminate the pregnancy failed, she decided to deliver the baby, abandon it in the uncompleted building and walk away.
But when she came to the Synagogue on March 16, 2008, out of curiousity, Prophet T.B. Joshua claimed she was revealed to him by God and fished her out from the crowd. When she delivered a couple of days later, March 19, 2008, the church moved quickly and took the 21-year-old mother and baby. Prophet Joshua recently baptized and named the baby 'Mine". As he said, the baby is the Lord's. Like the triplets, Mine is actually on the church's scholarship and upkeep. Seen a week ago, a now well-groomed and lovely Jennifer says she is the happiest, proud mother in the world.
Meanwhile, Baby Mine probably would have been found by an indegent passerby and sold. And maybe re-sold some more later.
Racketeering
In Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the East ,a hospital, Nma Clinic is alleged to lure young girls to get pregnant,deliver and leave the babies with the hospital.
Located at Umu Nkpeyi Nvosi - in the outskirts of the town, when the news of the sordid details broke, the police invaded the so- called clinic and charity home and arrested the owner of the outfit. Sunday Sun learnt several young girls and babies were found in the place.
Spitual dimension
Fertility problems have driven many couples to incredible extremes. Some scamper to Pentecostal churches, spiritual homes and even babalawos to seek solution.
A church in Oregun,Lagos promises a harvest of babies. Billboards dotting the metropolis claim that supposed barren women who come to the church go home with twins.
Some desperate couples rush to white garment churches and receive spiritual bath and cleansing at various beaches in the city. Sunday Sun learnt that the desirous women are usually stripped naked and 'bathed" by self- acclaimed 'holy prophets."