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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command recently arrested Mr. Michael Charles for allegedly selling his three children for N1,550,000.00.
Charles, who had earlier given his name as ThankGod Chukwu, said he hails from Omoku, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, but resides in Omerelu, Ikwerre LGA, Rivers State.
In an interview, the suspect said that the three children he sold belonged to him and he did not steal them. He added that neither was he involved in child trafficking as alleged by the police.
The state police public relations officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, a superintendent of police, had told journalists that operatives of the state police command attached to the commissioner of police monitoring unit arrested Charles alongside six others for selling his three children for N1.5 million.
Iringe-Koko, while parading the seven-man children trafficking syndicate, said their arrest was based on the revelation of two suspects who were earlier arrested.
Iringe-Koko noted that an extended investigation into Omudiaga community in Emohua LGA of Rivers State and Ogbaku community in Mbaitoli council of Imo State led to the arrest of other suspects.
She noted that both the two-year-old and the baby bought by Amaewhule had been recovered, adding that investigation was ongoing to recover the five-year-old.
The police image maker said: “Operatives attached to the CP Monitoring Unit on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at about 5.00pm, based on the revelation of two suspects earlier arrested in a case of child trafficking, extended the investigation to Omudioga community in Emohua LGA of Rivers State and Ogbaku, in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State where they arrested the duo of Ndubuisi Egbueri (male), and Ndubuisi Wosa (male) at Omudioga and one Chioma Anele (female) at Ogbaku.
“Both Ndubuisi Egbueri and Ndubuisi Wosa confessed to receiving one of the babies, which they later handed over to Hon. Regina Aki (female) at Rukpokwu in Port Harcourt.
“Hon. Regina Aki was also arrested and she admitted to contacting one Favour Amaewhule (female) at Aluu, where the baby was sold in the presence of Michael Charles, the father of the baby.
“Subsequently, Favour Amaewhule (female), who admitted to buying the baby for the sum of N700,000.00, while N350,000.00 was paid to Michael Charles, the father of the baby, and N350,000.00 was paid to Hon. Regina Aki and partners, was arrested.”
Being paraded at the Old GRA Police Station, Charles said he sold his five-year-old child, two-year-old, and a day-old for N700,000, N350,000 and N500,000 respectively.
Charles in an interview with journalists, blamed the economic hardship for his action, saying he was unable to cater for the children.
He said: ” I didn’t steal the children. They were my own. I gave the three children to ‘baby nurse’ to take care of them for me. I didn’t have money to cater for them. That was why I handed them over to a nurse to look after them.
Daily Sun gathered that Charles was taking advantage of his wife’s disability to perpetrate the act of selling the children.
He said that it was an agreement between him and his wife, who is deaf and dumb, to hand over the children to a nurse to look after them.
He claimed: “I don’t have money. It is poverty that made me to give my children to a ‘baby nurse’. I went with my wife to her. When you look at me, you will see that I don’t have money. I did not have money to train the children.
According to the suspect, the nurse, who was also arrested by police, told him to come back in seven years for his children.
“She said that after seven years, I should come back for the baby and give him N7,000, for taking care of my child.
“But, I collected N700,000.00 for Uchechi. I collected N350,000.00 for Miracle and the last one was N500,000.00.”
He disclosed that one of the accomplices, whom he simply identified as ‘doctor’, introduced him to where he sold children.
According to him, the money got from the sales of the children was used in opening a saloon for his wife, settling her family, while he used the remaining money.
The man confessed to journalists that he was intercepted by OSPAC (a local vigilance group) in Omerelu, Ikwerre LGA, when he was about selling his new born baby, and was handed over to Elele Police Division from where he was transferred to CP Monitoring Unit.
Meanwhile, the mother-in-law of Charles explained to newsmen that before the arrest, the suspect had been lying to her that her grandchildren, especially the last child, died after birth.
She said the suspect (Charles) was taking advantage of her daughter (his wife) who is deaf and dumb to perpetrate the act of selling her children upon delivery.
The case has been charged to court.
