By Esther Onyegbula

LAGOS — Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Police Command in Lagos, has arrested three suspected human traffickers for attempting to take two newborn babies out of the country.

The babies still had their umbilical cords when the women were arrested.

The suspects, identified as Kadijatu Dialo Diawara, 39; Yakari Dialo Diawara, 41; and Hillary Wafo, 43, were intercepted at the international wing of the airport on Friday with two babies suspected to be from different mothers.

It was learned that both women, who were travelling to Mali, are married to two brothers.

Hillary Wafo, a Cameroonian, who lives at Bariga, Lagos State, was said to be at the airport to assist the suspects to board the plane.

It was gathered that police officers, who were on duty, sensed foul play as the suspects were waiting to board ASKY Airline to Mali and refused to breastfeed the babies who were weeping profusely.

This prompted a discreet surveillance by policemen at the airport who noticed that the babies still had their umbilical cords intact and arrested the suspects.

Vanguard gathered that immediately after their arrest, health officials from Ports Authority examined the suspects and discovered that they were not their biological mothers. Investigations also revealed that the babies are not twins as one looks older than the other.

The suspects claimed they were  from Okitikpupa in Ondo State where one of the suspects, Kadijatu Dialo Diawara, who said she had been married for 20 years, claimed she gave birth to the babies.

After interrogation, the suspects were taken for medical examination which proved that they were not the mothers of the babies.

Police sources said Kadijatu Dialo Diawara had been married for 20 years without a child and had come to Nigeria on November 14, 2015 to pick the babies.

The suspects’ co-wife, Yakari Dialo, denied having knowledge of the transaction.

One of the suspects said: “I don’t know anything. I was kept in a room while my sister-in-law was in another room. I don’t know what happened. I only saw the newborn babies after she delivered.

‘’This is the first time we are involved in this kind of business. Our husband lives in Bamako, Mali.”

Vanguard gathered that the babies were kept in police custody before they were taken to Juvenile Centre,  Alakara, Lagos,  to ensure they were given adequate care.

It was further learned  that Airport Police Command later intimated officials of Lagos State Ministry of Youths Development  to ensure that the babies were properly taken care of.

At press time, sources said detectives were still continuing with more investigations in order to arrest all those involved in the act.