Police operatives attached to the Madalla Division in Niger State have arrested a mother of and another man for alleged human trafficking.
The two suspects, Blessing Aluna, 23, of the Rimi Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, and one Oludare Jeprince, 36, of Giri Abuja, were apprehended in the Madalla area of Suleja for abducting a three-year-old child.
It was learnt that Aluna, who resides in the Madalla area of Suleja, had at some point allegedly sold her one-week-old baby for N200,000.
It was learnt that she was nabbed for allegedly conniving with Jeprince, who was said to be her boyfriend and accomplice, to kidnap and facilitate the sale of the three-year-old baby.
Northern City News gathered on Sunday that Aluna had in 2017 sold her week-old baby to one Nkechi Udo, of Tungan Maje, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Further checks revealed that Aluna had assisted one Precious Ade of the Gwagwalada area of Abuja to sell her 15-month-old baby for N250,000.
The suspect reportedly received the sum of N50,000 as her share of the proceeds of the crime. In an interview with our correspondent, Aluna blamed poverty for her involvement in the crime.
She said, “Imagine me selling my child for money; that will tell you the level of hardship in the country.
“I sold my own child for N200,000 in order to open a provision store in Suleja at least to take care of myself and my siblings.”
When asked whether she regretted her action, the suspect said, “I have done the worst thing to humanity and especially to my own child. I don’t think I deserve to be alive, let the law take its course.”
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar, confirmed the incident, saying the suspects confessed to have been in the child trafficking business for over two years.
He said the suspects would be arraigned in court as soon as investigations were concluded.