Man arrested for trying to sell daughter

The police in Abia State have arrested a 32-year-old man, Obinna Obu, from Umudim Imeziowa in Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State for allegedly trying to sell his six-year-old daughter.

The suspect was arrested at Umuode Osisioma Local Government while ‘negotiating’ with the suspected buyer, Eze Ochiegbu, from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government.

The little girl would have been sold for N500,000.

The Commissioner of Police, Usman Tilli Abubakar, said his men acted on a tip-off and swooped on them, adding that the victim had been rescued.

Obu said Ochiegbu may have charmed him as he was haggling the price between N300,000 and N500,000, when they had earlier agreed on N500,000.

His wife, he said, was not aware of the deal.

Abubakar said some suspected child traffickers were also arrested at an eatery in Osisioma Local Government.

Four people -three women and a man- were trying to induce an expectant mother into labour with the intention of selling the baby.

The commissioner said the suspects were caught as they were about to carry out the act on Mrs. Ogechi Eberendu, who lives in Owerri, Imo State.

Mrs. Eberendu was lured to Abia State by her friend, Nkiruka Ogbodo.

The commissioner named the suspects as Uchechi Duru, Ngozi Obasi, Tochukwu Uwakwe and Ugochukwu Okafor.

Abubakar said two fake soldiers were arrested after they allegedly robbed and stopped a duo who were trying to take a little boy, Husseni Musa, to Sokoto State to be sold.

The commissioner said his team learnt that Dambala Yahaya from Birni Kudu in Kano State was driving a Toyota land cruiser with registration number AJ 953 AHD and others from Niger Republic were travelling to Sokoto State, when they were stopped by the fake soldiers.

He said: “The fake soldiers made away with the vehicle, their luggage and little Musa.

“But we rescued the boy and recovered the vehicle and everything in it.”

Abubakar said his men went after the suspects and arrested Emmanuel Aroh from Awgu in Enugu State.

“He was seen in an army uniform and he is suspected to be a member of the gang that robbed and kidnapped little Musa.”

Also paraded was an expectant mother, Ngozi Aroh, from Abiriba in Abia State, who was caught selling substances believed to be Indian hemp.

Ms Aroh said she had been in the business for three years and that she receives her wares from a supplier, who lives in Benin, Edo State.



-- The Nation