. ...British nationals warned Of Staged Births, Weak Fertility Regulation
…UK Urges Citizens To Verify Fertility, Surrogacy Arrangements Before Travelling
Daud Olatunji
The United Kingdom has warned its citizens travelling to or living in Nigeria to beware of fertility treatment scams, including alleged staged births in which unsuspecting visitors are falsely made to believe they have had a baby.
The warning was contained in the latest update to the UK Government’s travel advice for Nigeria published on Wednesday.
The advisory specifically cautioned British nationals considering in-vitro fertilisation and other fertility treatments in Nigeria to conduct thorough checks before committing money or making arrangements.
“If you’re considering fertility treatment in Nigeria, exercise caution,” the UK Government stated.
It disclosed that there had been reports of staged fake births, commonly referred to as “miracle babies”, in which visitors were allegedly deceived into believing that a birth had taken place.
The British Government also raised concerns over the regulatory environment surrounding fertility treatment and surrogacy in Nigeria, describing regulation of the sector as weak.
It advised British nationals seeking fertility services in Nigeria to familiarise themselves with UK legal requirements, particularly where they intend to bring a child born through fertility treatment into Britain.
The advisory directed prospective parents to existing UK guidance on overseas surrogacy before making any arrangements.
Warning Over Wider Scams
The latest travel advisory also warned British nationals in Nigeria about a range of financial scams, saying citizens were increasingly being targeted by fraudsters operating in West Africa.
It said the scams could involve romance and friendship, business ventures, employment opportunities and other schemes designed to obtain money from victims.
“Scams can put victims at great financial risk,” the UK Government warned.
British nationals were urged to be particularly careful when dealing with people they meet online, especially where requests for money, job offers, business proposals or invitations to meet face-to-face are involved.
The UK Government also advised citizens to independently verify requests for money transfers to Nigeria by contacting the person purportedly receiving the funds.
It further warned against calls from individuals claiming to be in distress, advising recipients to establish whether the alleged emergency had been reported to the Consular Section of the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos or the British High Commission in Abuja.
The advisory also cautioned British nationals against suspicious emails purportedly originating from British diplomatic missions in Nigeria.
UK Warns Over Adoption
The updated travel advice also highlighted restrictions on overseas adoption involving children from Nigeria.
The UK Government said British nationals must comply with relevant legal procedures before attempting to bring a child from Nigeria into Britain.
It warned that bringing a non-biological child into the UK without following the required procedures could result in prosecution, while the child might also be denied British citizenship.
The latest advisory, marked current on August 19, comes amid growing international scrutiny of fertility treatment, surrogacy and adoption arrangements involving cross-border movement of children.
The UK Government urged its citizens to obtain appropriate legal and official guidance before entering into fertility, surrogacy or adoption arrangements in Nigeria.
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