The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a middle-aged man, identified as Chukwuma Onwe, for allegedly selling his five-day-old son for ₦1.5 million.
Onwe, a native of Nwezenyi-Igbeagu community in Izzi Local Government Area, was apprehended after his partner, Philomena Iroko, raised the alarm over the disappearance of their newborn.
According to the police, the suspect sold the baby to a woman identified as Chinyere Ugochukwu, who has also been arrested.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident on Saturday in Abakaliki. He said both the father and the alleged buyer were arrested on Friday at the Azugwu area of Abakaliki, and the baby has since been recovered safely.
“Yes, the suspect, Onwe, has been arrested and is currently in our custody. An investigation into the case has already commenced,” Ukandu stated.
Narrating her ordeal, the baby’s mother, Iroko, said Onwe deceitfully took the infant from her under the guise of handing him over to his sister for care.
“I didn’t know he sold my child. He told me he gave the baby to his sister.
I thank God the police recovered my son alive,” she said tearfully, appealing for assistance to care for her child.
She further alleged that Onwe had promised to marry her but disappeared after the sale. “Now I have no husband and no help. I’m begging the government and kind-hearted Nigerians to help me,” she pleaded.
Meanwhile, similar cases of child trafficking have been reported in other states.
In January, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command arrested a woman, Christiana Ibanga, and her boyfriend, Inyene Akpan, for allegedly selling their baby for ₦450,000.