After 11 Years, NAPTIP Secures 14-Year Jail Term for Ondo ‘Baby Factory’ Socialite Couple
After more than a decade in court, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has secured a decisive victory against a high-profile couple who ran a baby factory in Ondo State, with the court handing down stiff prison terms and ordering sweeping forfeitures.
On Thursday, February 26, 2026, the Federal High Court in Akure convicted Prince Ogundeji Abiodun and Mrs Ayodele Ogundeji, sentencing both to 14 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine for trafficking-related offences.
Delivering judgment, Justice F.A. Olubanjo found the couple guilty on a 10-count charge, including detaining victims against their will and depriving them of personal liberty, contrary to Section 19(c) of the TIPPLEA 2003.
Beyond the prison terms, the court ordered the forfeiture of eight vehicles, two bungalows and ₦4 million in cash recovered during investigations, declaring them proceeds of crime.
The assets are to be handed over to the Federal Government through NAPTIP. In a significant restitution order, the court also directed that three victims who testified during the trial receive ₦1 million each from the forfeited assets.
The case, which began in January 2014 following a referral by the Nigerian Immigration Service, exposed a disturbing operation at the couple’s residence in Ilu-Titun, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.
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Underage pregnant girls were allegedly harboured and detained there until delivery, after which their babies were sold to buyers.
Investigators who searched the premises uncovered hospital cards, cash stashed in a vehicle trunk, multiple cars and keys, residential buildings, a poultry farm and domestic animals. A court order obtained in May 2014 authorised the sealing and seizure of the properties.
Speaking in Lagos, NAPTIP’s Lagos Zonal Commander, Mrs Comfort Agboko, described the ruling as historic and a landmark in Nigeria’s anti-trafficking fight. She said the judgment not only punishes the offenders but also strips them of their illicit wealth while offering compensation to victims.
Agboko commended the judiciary, security agencies and other partners for sustaining the prosecution through the prolonged legal battle, stressing that the agency remains resolute in tracking and prosecuting traffickers regardless of their social status.
She warned that the conviction sends a clear message: no matter how long it takes, perpetrators of human trafficking will ultimately face the full weight of the law.
