Father Arrested for Attempting to Sell 8-Year-Old Son for N20 Million in Abuja

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Capital Territory Command, apprehended a man who was allegedly plotting to sell his eight-year-old son for N20 million. The suspects, Chinana Tali, the father, and Pius Aondoakaa, were paraded at the NSCDC command on Tuesday.

Commandant Olusola Odumosu, during the parade, revealed that the arrests took place on January 10, 2024, after intelligence personnel intercepted the father and his accomplice, who were conspiring to trade the young boy, Ushafa Tali.

Providing details of the operation, Odumosu stated, “Following a tip-off, the suspects were immediately placed under surveillance. Pius Aondoakaa, in a quest for a higher bid, rejected the sum of 12 million naira and was looking for 20 million naira for a ‘He-goat,’ meaning a boy child. He also offered a ‘she-goat’ (i.e., girl child) for 15 million Naira.”

He added that the undercover personnel, posing as a buyer, lured the father to Abuja on January 10, 2024, where the transaction was finalized for the sum of twenty million naira. The officers then moved in, arresting the father, Chinana Tali, and recovering the eight-year-old boy.

The accomplice, Pius Aondoakaa, was also arrested on January 12, 2024. Both suspects are from the Tiv tribe and a village called R.C.M Abeda Mbadyul in Logo LGA.

Chinana Tali, the father, justified his actions, blaming economic hardships for his decision to sell his fourth child. He claimed that the money would be used to train his remaining five children.

The NSCDC handed over the suspects to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution. Meanwhile, the boy is set to be reunited with his mother.

In a separate incident, the NSCDC FCT Command arrested a 23-year-old man, Yakubu Mati, on January 11, 2024, for vandalizing an armored cable along the Idu Metro Railway line. He was found in possession of a hoe, a saw blade, and a lighter.

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