As the world celebrates the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 10 pregnant girls and some children have been rescued by the Nigeria police from a baby factory.

While the operator of the factory, Mrs Florence Ogbonna reportedly fled during the raid on Tuesday December 1, her daughter and a physically challenged man were arrested.

The physically challenged man is allegedly responsible for impregnating the young girls and after delivery, their babies were sold by Mrs Ogbonna who was arrested for similar offence and is standing trial for human trafficking.

The police spokesperson said the young expectant mothers aged 18 to 24 years, were transported from several states of the country with a promise of securing employment for them but later lured into the illicit trade.

The raid was conducted at the baby factory owned by the woman who is under court bail, after one of the victims resisted the plan to put her baby for sale, escaped and reported the illicit trade to the police.

The lady, identified as Chidera Onuoha, revealed that she reported to the police after the fleeing woman wanted to sell her baby. On how much the babies cost, she said; 

“If the baby is a boy, they sell it for N250,000. If it’s a girl, it is N200,000.”

According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery. Although modern slavery is not defined in law, it is used as an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking.

Essentially, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.

In addition, more than 150 million children are subject to child labour, accounting for almost one in ten children around the world.