32 teenage mothers-to-be held after raid on 'baby trafficking' clinic

Dozens of pregnant teenagers could face charges after being accused of planning to sell their babies to a growing child trafficking trade in Nigeria's south-east.

Thirty-two girls between 15 and 18 years old were arrested during a raid on an illegal clinic in Aba in Abia state on Saturday, the state police chief said yesterday. The girls were taken at the Cross Foundation, locally known as Heda Clinic. The clinic's director was also arrested. He is accused of buying the babies from the young mothers and selling them for a generous profit to childless couples. He denied the charge, and said he places the babies them in orphanages. "One of the girls told us that mothers sell their babies for $160 to $190," said Abia State police chief Bala Hassan.

They can then be resold for up to $6,400, depending on their gender, said Arinze Orakwe, spokesman of the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons.

Boys are preferred, as they can inherit land according to the local Igbo culture.