Last summer, a woman was arrested at Gatwick Airport after arriving from Nigeria with a baby girl. The Family Court has since described this incident as a suspected case of child trafficking. The woman, who had previously claimed to be pregnant before leaving the UK, was found not to be the biological mother of the infant through DNA testing.
BBC reported that the woman, referred to as Susan for legal reasons, had been living in West Yorkshire with her husband and children since June 2023. A careworker with leave to remain in the UK, she had informed her GP that she was pregnant. However, scans and blood tests revealed a tumor, disproving her claim. Despite concerns about the possibility of cancer, Susan refused treatment, insisting that she was pregnant and that her babies were always hidden on scans.
In early June 2024, Susan traveled to Nigeria and later contacted her local hospital to claim that she had given birth. Upon returning to the UK about a month later with the baby, referred to as Eleanor, she was arrested by Sussex Police on suspicion of trafficking. Although she was bailed, and no active criminal investigation is currently underway, Family Court proceedings have raised serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding Eleanor’s arrival in the UK.
Initial DNA testing confirmed that neither Susan nor her husband were genetically related to Eleanor. A second test confirmed this. Susan then claimed that she had conceived through IVF using donor egg and sperm, which she said explained the lack of genetic link. She provided documentation from a Nigerian hospital to support her claim, including photos and videos allegedly showing her in labor. However, none of the images showed her face, and the credibility of the materials was challenged in court.
An investigation conducted by the Family Court and led by the experienced social worker Henrietta Coker uncovered further irregularities. Ms. Coker visited the Nigerian clinics where Susan claimed to have undergone IVF and given birth. However, the clinic staff informed her that there was no record of Susan receiving treatment, and the letter presented as evidence was declared forged. The alleged birth facility turned out to be a small, dilapidated flat staffed by teenage girls in nurse uniforms. The doctor who signed the birth certificate admitted that someone had given birth, but it was not Susan. He suggested that Susan might have purchased the child and noted that impersonation in such cases was common.
The case brought to light the concerning phenomenon of “baby factories” in Nigeria. According to Ms. Coker, over 200 such operations, often involving the kidnapping and exploitation of young girls forced to give birth, have been shut down in the past five years. While the exact origin of Eleanor remains unclear, the doctor suspected that she might have been voluntarily given up.
Further scrutiny of Susan’s phone revealed text exchanges with a contact saved as “Mum oft Lagos Baby.” These exchanges discussed “hospital items” and a “delivery drug” costing 3.4 million Naira, approximately £1,700. The local authority interpreted these messages as evidence of a deal to acquire a baby. Notably, the messages had been set to automatically self-destruct.
Family Court judge Recorder William Tyler KC concluded that Susan and her husband had fabricated a narrative to conceal the baby’s true origins. He found that they had submitted false documents, misled authorities, and caused Eleanor significant emotional and psychological harm. In a final ruling, the judge declared that Susan and her husband were not the child’s parents and ordered that Eleanor be placed for adoption. While acknowledging the emotional toll this decision would have on the couple, the judge emphasized the importance of safeguarding the child’s well-being.
Eleanor, currently residing with a foster family, is said to be well-settled and receiving the necessary care. Once adopted, she will acquire a new identity and British nationality, although her true parentage may remain unknown.
This case mirrors another incident that occurred in 2023, involving a baby brought into Manchester Airport by a man who falsely claimed to be the child’s father. Ms. Coker, who has worked on approximately a dozen similar cases since the pandemic, believes that child trafficking involving babies is a prevalent issue not only in Africa but also across the global south. She emphasized that money is being exchanged for children on a large scale.
The UK government has acknowledged concerns about child trafficking in Nigeria. Since 2021, adoptions from the country have been restricted due to documented instances of abuse. Past efforts to combat fraudulent claims included mandatory DNA testing for visa applications, but this practice was discontinued in 2018 following legal advice that such testing was unlawful without consent.
Patricia Durr, CEO of the anti-trafficking charity ECPAT, described the practice of using children in immigration fraud as particularly heinous. She emphasized the urgent need to prevent such egregious crimes from occurring.
A government spokesperson reaffirmed the UK’s stance, stating that falsely claiming to be the parent of a child to facilitate entry to the UK is illegal. Those found guilty of such actions will face the full force of the law.
