A 38-year-old woman, Mrs Ify Obinabo, has been arrested for attempting to sell her nine-year-old and seven-year-old sons for N1 million each in Anambra State.
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, told newsmen on Wednesday in Awka that the woman’s eldest daughter, a 17-year-old, was also arrested for being part of the scheme.
Obinabo said the accused and her daughter were arrested when she (commissioner) posed as a potential buyer of the boys after she got a hint of the transaction.
She explained that, “I heard about the transaction and decided to pose as a buyer. The suspect told me she would sell the boys at the sum of N2m, but after serious negotiation, she settled for N1.8m.
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“The culprits stay in Okija in Ihiala LGA, but we lured them to Awka to seal the transaction and they were eventually arrested.
“The suspects will be handed over to the police.”
Fielding questions from newsmen, the suspect, an indigene of Ozubulu in Ekwusigo LGA, said she decided to sell the boys because of economic hardship.
She said, “I had only two kids before the death of my husband and had the other nine children for other men. Ever since, it has been difficult to adequately care for and support them.
“This is my second attempt. I only developed interest in the business of selling children after my neighbour successfully sold one of her kids.
“I planned to do the business alongside my eldest daughter because the money will also be used to advance her tertiary education.”
The commissioner then ordered that her other children be taken into the state government’s custody for proper care.
Obinabo further said that plans were underway to arrest the suspect’s neighbour after which contact tracing would follow to retrieve a child she earlier sold. (NAN)
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