Woman sells her three kids for N500,000, blames hardship

Published 

Woman sells her three kids for N500,000, blames hardship

Michael Nnamdi

 A 25-year-old woman, Blessing Stephen, has confessed to trading all her three kids for N500,000.

Stephen was a member of a child trafficking syndicate recently smashed by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.

Other arrested members of the syndicate are a self-acclaimed doctor, Una Godwin 58; Blessing John 27; Israel Ariyo 33; Itoro Anthony; 40 and Mforbong Ntoro, 48.

The operatives had launched a manhunt for one of the suspects, John, who abandoned a four-year-old boy in a church in the Ketu area of the state.

John was said to have abducted the boy, Ojo, at Ikota Housing Estate in Ajah sometime July 2019 and sold him in Akwa Ibom State to Ntoro for N350,000.

City Round learnt that Ntoro’s neighbours were alarmed by Ojo’s incessant cries and became suspicious, which forced the woman to return the child to John, asking her to get a baby as replacement.

John reportedly brought Ojo back to Lagos and abandoned him inside the church located along the road on the pretext that she wanted to pick some loads on the other side of the road.

Our correspondent learnt that the church reported the incident at the Ketu Police Station and the boy was later reunited with his parents.

Consequently, a petition was addressed to the IRT to fish out the suspect.

The team tracked down John a few weeks ago in Ibadan, Oyo State, and she led them to arrest her accomplices, Stephen and Ntoro.

She told the police that it was hardship that made her to engage in child trafficking, adding that she needed money to treat an ailment she was battling with.

John said, “I did an abortion which backfired. I had a surgery and needed money to continue treatment. I contacted my friend, Blessing Stephen, and she told me I could raise money by stealing a child. I abducted the boy and took him to Ibadan, Oyo State, where Blessing lived with her husband (Israel Ariyo).