Man arrested for selling wife and son into slavery

By Christopher Oji, Lagos

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 36-year-old man, Kingsley Essien, for allegedly selling his wife and two-year-old son into slavery.

While his wife was trafficked to Mali, for prostitution his 2-year-old son was sold to a woman at N600,000.

According to Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, “the suspect was arrested following the report lodged at Agbara Divisional Headquarters by the suspect’s wife, Bright Essien, who reported that sometime in October 2021, her husband, Kingsley Essien, informed her that he had secured a job for her in Bamako, Mali, and that he has assisted many people to that country for greener pastures before.

“She explained further that being her husband, she didn’t suspect any foul play until she got to Mali, only to discover that she has been sold to a human trafficking cartel headed by a woman at the rate of N1.4 million, While in Mali, she was forced into prostitution, but later found her way to Nigeria Embassy in Bamako, where she was assisted back to Nigeria.

“On getting to Nigeria, she discovered that her two years old son, under the care of her husband was nowhere to be found. Upon the report, the DPO Agbara Division, SP Abiodun Salau l, detailed detectives to go after the suspect, and he was eventually arrested.

“On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the commission of the crime. He confessed further that he sold the two years old son to somebody at the rate of N600,000.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Mr Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspect to Anti Human Trafficking and Child labour unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), for discreet investigation.

He equally ordered that the buyer of the son must be traced and arrested in order to recover the stolen child.