The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of
Lagos State Police Command has
arrested a man for allegedly selling his 2-year-old son for N300,000.
Investigation revealed that Kanayo
Awurum, a painter, from Imo State,
eastern Nigeria, allegedly impregnated his girlfriend, Ugochukwu Kelechi, and absconded shortly after that.
It was after Kelechi gave birth to the
boy that he was sold when he was two years old without her knowledge.
Two years later, Awurum allegedly
came back and apologized to her.
Thereafter, he relocated to Lagos to
meet Kelechi at Ikotun.
It was gathered that he had no money after he relocated. As a result, he told Kelechi about his intention to use his son for a loan, with a promise that after three months, he would offset the loan and claim the boy back.
His wife was said to have objected to
that. But the suspect who relocated to Lagos with his wife left his son in the care of a relation in his village.
Awurum’s friend, Ibe Emmanuel,
allegedly advised him to sell off the
boy.
It was alleged that Ibe even went
ahead to assist in looking for a buyer
and found one in Port Harcourt where
the boy, Chukwunonyerum Samuel,
was allegedly sold to Mrs. Chinwe for
N300,000.
Ibe who assisted in getting a buyer
was allegedly given N50,000.
Awurum allegedly used part of the
money to rent a self-contained room
at Ikotun and paid for a year and half.
After some time, one of Awurum’s
relatives called him for a house
painting contract in Owerri. He
proceeded to Owerri from where he
called Kelechi and told her that the
landlord should rent out the self-
contained room in Lagos to another
person.
The woman became worried and
suspicious until Awurum stopped
picking her calls. This prompted her
and the landlord to report the matter to Ikotun Police station and the matter was later transferred to Lagos.
He was tracked down and arrested
and upon interrogation, he allegedly
confessed to the police that he sold his son.
Lagos State Police Command Public
Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu
confirmed the arrest.
He said that SARS operatives have
been despatched to Port Harcourt to
arrest the buyer of the boy and
recover him, adding that all those who participated in the illegal child abuse, human trafficking and sale of the boy would be prosecuted as soon as investigation is concluded.
The victim’s mother Kelechi, 28, from
Ikeduru, Imo State, an apprentice
caterer, said she met Awurum while
she was in a secondary school and
they both dated for 10 years before
she got pregnant for him.
“He came to my family to tell them he wanted to marry me. They told him to go and bring his family members.
Since then, he ran away. After one
year, I gave birth to the baby that was
sold. He called me and started
begging. My brother warned his family that he does not want to see him in our house. When he had an accident, I was worried and went to see him.
After he recovered, he told me that if I
was still interested I should prepare to relocate with him to Lagos. I never
knew it was a ploy to sell our son. I
am now two months pregnant for him again,” she said.
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