UK court removes Nigerian woman’s custody of baby over suspected trafficking

Summary

• Leeds Family Court rules Nigerian couple fabricated birth of baby girl
• DNA tests and staged documents revealed no biological link to child
• Concerns raised over baby trafficking and “baby factories” in West Africa

West Yorkshire, UK – A British Family Court has ruled that a Nigerian woman living in West Yorkshire, identified only as Susan, must relinquish custody of a baby girl, Eleanor, after it was determined she had no biological connection to the child and may have obtained her through illegal means.

Susan was arrested at Gatwick Airport in July 2024 upon returning from Nigeria with the newborn. Before her trip, she had told her GP she was pregnant, but medical examinations found no sign of pregnancy, only an untreated tumour. She insisted, however, that her pregnancies were “undetectable,” claiming, “My babies are always hidden.”

Following her arrival with Eleanor, DNA tests confirmed that neither Susan nor her husband had any genetic link to the child. In an attempt to explain the discrepancy, Susan claimed she had undergone IVF treatment using donor egg and sperm in Nigeria. She presented a letter from a Nigerian hospital and media purportedly showing her in labour. But the court found the materials were staged and failed to provide convincing proof of birth.

Expert witness Henrietta Coker testified that the doctor named in Susan’s documentation denied that she was the woman in the photographs. Coker added that the child may have been bought and noted the alarming prevalence of so-called “baby factories” in West Africa. Over the past five years, Nigerian authorities have reportedly shut down more than 200 such illegal facilities.

In his judgment, Judge Recorder William Tyler KC concluded that Susan and her husband had fabricated Eleanor’s origin, submitted false documents, and subjected the child to “significant emotional and psychological harm.” The court also cited messages found on Susan’s phone, including one to a contact saved as “Mum oft Lagos Baby,” which discussed payments equivalent to £1,700 and £85, raising further suspicion of a transaction.

Eleanor’s origins remain unknown. She has since been placed for adoption. The case has reignited concerns over baby trafficking and adoption fraud linked to West Africa, which prompted the UK to impose restrictions on adoptions from Nigeria in 2021.