A 38-year old woman and her daughter have been arrested for attempting to sell her two sons, aged 9 and 7 years.
The suspects, Chinyere Chukwu and Joy Chukwu (17) were apprehended by Anambra State Women and Social Welfare Commissioner, Ify Obinabo who posed as buyer following a tip-off.
Daily Vendor gathered that the suspects were lured from Okija to Awka where they were nabbed.
Confessing to the crime, the 38-year old woman blamed the act on economic hardship.
She said, “My daughter and I agreed to sell our two sons due to economic hardship.
“I have eleven kids. I had 2 kids for my husband and got the remaining 9 after his death. Since then, I have not been able to give them adequate love and care.
“We originally wanted to sell the boys for N2million because they are males. But after serious bargaining by the Commissioner, we decided to sell them at N1,800,000 million.
While pleading for pardon as it was her first attempt, the suspect further revealed that she developed interest in the business following her neighbor’s successful sale of her kids.
On her part, the daughter, the eldest of the 11 children, said her plan was to use the proceeds from the sale to further her tertiary education.
Reacting, the Commissioner ordered arrest of the neighbor, while the remaining kids of the suspect be taken into government’s custody for proper care.
She further directed contact tracing of the neighbor’s kid would follow in order to retrieve the child.
Obinabo, who was visibly sad over the incident, assured of government’s resolve in eradicating crimes, warning that anyone found culpable would be handed over to police for prosecution.
