The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has accused three workers of attempting to sell their employer's two-year-old child in Ogoja, Cross River State.
Incident Reported in Ogberia Ochoro Community
Oba Joseph, head of operations for the Cross River Command of NAPTIP, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in an interview on Thursday, August 27, in Calabar. According to him, the agency received a call on Monday about the incident, which occurred in Ogberia Ochoro community.
The three suspects allegedly took the two-year-old child while attempting to move him to another location for sale. Mr Joseph explained that the suspects claimed they had worked for their employer for about three months without receiving their wages.
Suspects Claim Revenge Over Unpaid Wages
“They claimed they decided to traffic the child as revenge and to recover the money they said they were owed,” Mr Joseph said. However, the NAPTIP chief noted that the employer disputed the allegation of owing the workers, insisting that he had paid them, except for August, which had not ended.
The suspects were apprehended after a farmer returning from the farm noticed their suspicious movement with the child. “The farmer questioned them, after which one of the suspects allegedly claimed that the two-year-old child was his own. The farmer who was not satisfied with their explanation raised an alarm, leading to the suspects’ arrest after they had crossed about four communities,” he narrated.
Ages of Suspects Under Investigation
Mr Joseph said investigations were ongoing, adding that the agency would prosecute the suspects after concluding its investigation. He highlighted a major issue: the disparity in the suspects' ages. The community documented them as 18, 19, and 27, but the suspects told NAPTIP they were 16, 17, and 25.
This prompted the agency to seek the parents' assistance to establish their actual ages. Mr Joseph said if their ages were confirmed as stated, they could be treated as children in conflict with the law, potentially affecting how the court handles the case.
Prosecution Process to Follow Investigation
He stressed, however, that regardless of their ages, the attempted trafficking of the two-year-old child remained established, while the investigation would determine the appropriate prosecution process.
