In February 2024, Anambra State health authorities uncovered the full scale of this operation. In a raid, they had discovered a facility where women were being held against their will.
Nigeria's 'Miracle Pregnancy' Scam Exposed
A disturbing fraudulent practice has been uncovered through the investigation of ‘BBC Africa Eye,’ where desperate women seeking motherhood are being manipulated and exploited by scammers posing as medical professionals in Anambra State, Nigeria. BBC Africa Eye’s year-long investigation has shed light on a network of illegal clinics offering so-called ‘miracle fertility treatments’ to women, leading to false pregnancies.
This illegal trafficking of babies, have spread widespread emotional and physical harm, with promises of ‘miracle fertility treatments’ costing hundreds of dollars causing a lot of harm to many young women.
Nigeria has an incredible high birth rate. In a society where women face immense pressure to bear children, those who cannot conceive often face stigma, societal shaming, and even abuse. For this reason many go through, the desperation to become mothers. This in turn leads them to turn to fraudulent fertility clinics that promise miraculous treatments.
One such story is that of Chioma, a woman who claims to have ‘carried’ a child for around 15 months. Like many others, she fell a victim to the scam that promised her motherhood. But instead the entire thing has left her deceived and traumatized. The so-called ‘miracle pregnancy’ scam has lured women like Chioma with the promise of hope and joy, only to trap them in a cycle of exploitation.
Through a daring undercover operation, BBC Africa Eye revealed the shocking truth behind these bogus clinics. The fake scammers, often posing as experienced doctors, offer women a highly expensive treatment that includes mysterious injections and concoctions designed to make their bellies swell. For this reason it results in simulating pregnancy. These so-called treatments, often involving mysterious injections or concoctions, lead to swollen bellies that mimic pregnancy, giving women false hope.
Women who fall prey to these scammers often experience physical changes. Their bodies experience several changes as their bellies bloat. This further convinces them that they are indeed pregnant. However, the clinics tell them to avoid regular medical care. They give a warning that conventional pregnancy tests or scans will not detect the baby that is growing outside the womb. The emotional manipulation and exploitation continue as women are convinced to keep paying for increasingly expensive drugs and treatments.
When the time comes for these women to give birth, they are told they must take a rare and costly drug to induce labor. The scammers promise that this is a special drug which will help to trigger contractions. But in reality, the women are simply sedated and wake up with a scar resembling a Caesarean incision. Some women report being put into a hallucinatory state with an injection that makes them believe they have given birth, only to find that the child is gone.
In one notorious case in Ihiala, Anambra State, a woman known as ‘Dr. Ruth’ operated a clinic out of a run-down hotel. For 350,000 naira (around $205), she assured women that they would become mothers. But in reality, no legitimate medical procedures or examinations were ever performed. The scam was a carefully constructed web of lies and deceit.
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The scam has not remained confined to Nigeria alone. It extends its reach through social media, where fraudulent groups on platforms like Facebook prey on vulnerable women. These scammers push myths about miraculous pregnancies, attracting desperate women from around the world—from Nigeria to the United States.
In February 2024, Anambra State health authorities uncovered the full scale of this operation. In a raid, they had discovered a facility where women were being held against their will. Whereas some women were as young as 17. These women were coerced into surrendering their new-born after being manipulated by these fraudsters. The raid revealed the disturbing reality of what was happening in these ‘fertility clinics. In these fertility clinics these women were exploited, deceived, and ultimately robbed of their hopes for motherhood.
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The tragedy of the ‘Nigeria’s miracle pregnancy’ scam is a stark reminder of the need for societal reform in Nigeria and beyond. Experts stress that changing the societal attitudes toward women’s reproductive rights and adoption is essential to preventing these types of exploitation.
