Former Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, has alleged that some women in Nigeria are using steroid injections and other elaborate methods to fake pregnancies before allegedly obtaining trafficked babies and presenting them to their unsuspecting husbands as their biological children.
Okah-Donli made the claims during an interview on the Kaa Truths Podcast, a clip of which resurfaced online on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, quickly gaining traction across social media and prompting widespread debate about child trafficking, infertility, and the pressure many couples face to have children.
Speaking from her experience as the former head of Nigeria’s anti-human trafficking agency, Okah-Donli alleged that the scheme involves a carefully orchestrated process designed to convince family members and spouses that a woman has carried and delivered a pregnancy.
According to her, some women allegedly receive steroid injections that cause noticeable physical changes, including facial swelling and abdominal enlargement, creating the appearance of pregnancy.
“They are injected with steroids. So when they inject them with these steroids, it gives them the semblance of a pregnant woman. Their faces are bloated up, and their tummies are actually very big. They look pregnant, but they are not pregnant,” she said.
She further alleged that those involved deliberately imitate common pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and food cravings whenever their husbands or relatives are present.
“When their husbands are around, they pretend to be suffering from morning sickness. They spit, they pretend to throw up and all sorts of funny things,” she added.
According to Okah-Donli, the deception allegedly reaches its final stage when the woman claims to have gone into labour. She said husbands are sometimes persuaded to leave the hospital or home on errands, only to return and meet a newborn baby allegedly obtained through illegal baby trafficking networks.
She also claimed that some women undergo surgical procedures to create scars resembling those from caesarean section deliveries in an attempt to make the deception appear genuine.
“They actually do open them up to make it look like they had a CS. That’s how desperate these guys are. They stitch them back up,” she alleged.
Okah-Donli further claimed that some women report giving birth to twins, triplets, or even quadruplets because multiple babies can allegedly be acquired in a single transaction through illegal baby-selling syndicates.
Link to Child Trafficking and DNA Disputes
The former NAPTIP chief said the alleged practice has implications for the growing number of paternity disputes being reported in Nigeria.
According to her, many men who request DNA tests discover they are not the biological fathers of children they believed were theirs. However, she argued that maternity testing is rarely conducted, even though it could determine whether the woman actually gave birth and potentially expose cases of child trafficking.
“The man is thinking this woman cheated on me, whereas the woman bought the baby. So it’s not even the mother. You can have the maternity test to be sure that this woman is not the mother of the baby, and then you begin to investigate where the baby came from,” she said.
No Independent Evidence Presented
Although Okah-Donli based her comments on experiences she said she encountered during her tenure at NAPTIP, she did not present specific ongoing investigations, court cases, or statistical evidence to demonstrate that the alleged steroid-assisted fake pregnancy scheme is widespread.
NAPTIP has, over the years, dismantled numerous illegal maternity homes and baby trafficking syndicates across several states, rescuing children and prosecuting suspects involved in child trafficking and illegal adoption operations.
Medical experts also note that while prolonged use of corticosteroids can cause side effects such as fluid retention, facial swelling—often referred to as “moon face”—and weight gain, the drugs cannot simulate pregnancy or replace childbirth. Misuse of such medications can also result in serious health complications.
Public Reactions
Okah-Donli’s comments have generated intense reactions online, with many Nigerians expressing shock over the allegations and calling for stronger action against child trafficking networks.
Others have urged couples facing fertility challenges to seek legitimate medical care and legal adoption processes rather than resorting to illegal means, while some have called for greater public awareness and improved investigations in disputed parentage cases.
Authorities continue to encourage members of the public with information about illegal maternity homes, baby factories, child trafficking, or related crimes to report such cases to NAPTIP and other law enforcement agencies for investigation.
