Mother confesses to selling son for 1.5m Naira due to “extreme hunger”

A 22-year-old woman, Faith Sunday, has admitted to selling her one-year-old child for N1.5 million.

Faith was apprehended alongside seven others involved in a child-trafficking syndicate by detectives from the Zone 2 Police Command headquarters in Onikan, Lagos.

During police interrogation, Faith confessed, saying, “In September 2024, I sold my son through Mrs. Ibezim Chioma and Sunday Okputu. The buyer, who lives in the Alausa area of Ikeja, paid N1.5 million. I had no choice but to sell my child because I was starving. I planned to use the money to start a business.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Zonal Anti-Crime Unit, Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, DCP Ajao S. Adewale, revealed that the arrest was made following intelligence received by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Adegoke Fayoade.

According to Adewale, the Zonal Anti-Crime Unit launched an investigation into the syndicate’s operations, uncovering their illicit trade in newborns, toddlers, and children of various ages.

He identified Sunday Okputu as the primary supplier of the children, while Ibezim Chioma acted as the intermediary who facilitated deals with buyers.

He further explained that the group included Mrs. Chinasa Echellibe, who cared for the children while waiting for prospective buyers.

Adewale stated that operatives, led by Ngozi Braide, successfully arrested the buyers and rescued five children from the syndicate.

Among them was Marvelous Obi, a one-year-old who had been sold to Ibezim Chioma as a newborn and later resold to Mrs. Ken Obi and Mrs. Appulus Marina Oluchi, who currently resides in Italy but left the child in Chinasa Echellibe’s care.

Additionally, a three-year-old named Promise Ifekwuna was sold for N500,000 by the syndicate’s ringleader, Sunday Okputu, to Mrs. Ifekwuna Ngozi in 2021.

Child trafficking in Nigeria

Child trafficking is a pervasive and devastating issue in Nigeria, with thousands of children falling victim to this heinous crime every year.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest number of child trafficking cases in West Africa.

Children are often trafficked from rural areas to urban centers, where they are forced into labor, prostitution, or other forms of exploitation.

The Nigerian government has taken steps to combat child trafficking, including the passage of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act in 2003.

However, despite these efforts, child trafficking remains a significant challenge in the country.

Poverty, lack of education, and social inequality are some of the factors that contribute to the prevalence of child trafficking in Nigeria.

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