Thursday, June 2, 2011

Nigeria cracks down on possible baby traffickers

A police raid on a hospital in Aba, Nigeria, rescued 32 young women between the ages of 15 and 17. The girls were all pregnant and found in what police have deemed a "baby farm." They had been locked up and used to produce babies, which were then sold for witchcraft purposes or put up for adoption illegally. The rate for babies in Nigeria can go up to $6,400, depending on the sex of the baby. Boys are prized more highly. UNICEF has estimated that at least 10 children are trafficked daily across Nigerian borders. Human trafficking is Nigeria's third most prevalent crime, falling behind only economic fraud and drug trafficking. However, there are groups in the country trying to fight this trend. One such organization is the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

-Abbey Smith

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