A disturbing scam has been uncovered in Nigeria that preys on incurable women to get pregnant. is calledThe Secret Pregnancy Scam‘, it exploits the cultural and social pressures faced by women unable to bear children, which often persuade them to believe in false pregnancies and pass off trafficked children as their own.
The plan was unveiled
The pregnancy scandal exposed by the BBC began with a conversation with a victim who claimed she carried her child, after seeking unconventional “treatment” at a “clinic” for 15 months. The unclear timeline raised alarm among state officials and her husband’s family, who questioned the child’s origins.
This led to a revelation that scammers, posing as doctors or nurses, were promising “miracle fertility treatments” to women struggling with infertility. Treatments costing hundreds of dollars often involve injections, drinks, or substances injected into the body. These substances sometimes cause physical changes such as abdominal swelling, leading women to believe they are pregnant.
Victims are warned not to visit conventional doctors, as they are told that no medical test or scan can detect the baby allegedly growing outside the womb.
When it’s time to “deliver,” women are asked to pay for an expensive and supposedly rare drug to induce labor. The delivery process often involves sedatives or hallucinogens, leaving women with babies they believe have been born.
Inside the clinics
An undercover investigation by BBC Africa Eye infiltrated one such clinic in Ihiala, Anambra State, headed by “Dr. Ruth” to patients. Operating out of a dilapidated hotel, “Dr. Ruth” fakes ultrasounds and celebrates supposed pregnancies with her clients. Initial treatment can cost as little as 350,000 naira ($205), with the cost up to 2 million naira ($1,180).
Trafficking connection
Authorities have linked the scam to a baby trafficking network. Babies are obtained from vulnerable women, often young and pregnant, who are coerced or tricked into giving up their babies. A raid on a facility in Anambra revealed that several pregnant women, some as young as 17, were being held against their will. These trafficked children are then presented to unsuspecting women as a result of their “pregnancy”.
Authorities crack down
Efforts are on to stop this operation. Commissioner Ife Obinabo is leading the crackdown in Anambra State, part of the operation to rescue victims and bust the scam. However, she warns that until societal attitudes towards infertility and adoption change, such scams will continue.
