A 22-year-old mother, Blessing Udoh, who allegedly sold her three-month-old baby for N50,000, must remain in police custody, an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court ruled on Friday in Lagos.

The Magistrate, Mr. Tajudeen Elias, ordered that the accused be kept in police custody pending her bail application.

Udoh is facing two counts of engaging in commercial s*x and trading a baby.

The accused, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge. Police Prosecutor, Kehinde Omisakin, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 30, 2017 at 6.00p.m. in Abattoir area of Oko-Oba in Abule Egba, a Lagos suburb.

Omisakin alleged that the accused sold her three-month-old baby, Destiny, to Mr. and Mrs. Philip James, who reside at Oron, Akwa Ibom State.

“The accused has been caught several times engaging in commercial s*x,” the prosecutor said.

The offences contravene sections 142 and 276 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accused, on conviction, may be sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, according to the provisions of the law.

The case has been adjourned till August 23 for hearing of the bail application.

-NAN