NAPTIP Investigates Workers Over Alleged Child Sale Plot in Cross River

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has leveled accusations against three individuals, alleging their attempt to traffic their employer’s two-year-old child in Ogoja, Cross River State. Oba Joseph, who serves as the head of operations for NAPTIP’s Cross River Command, shared these details with the News Agency of Nigeria during an interview conducted on Thursday, August 27, in Calabar.

Mr. Joseph explained that NAPTIP received a distress call on Monday regarding the incident. The alleged event took place in the Ogberia Ochoro community, where the three suspects reportedly took the young child with the intention of moving him to another location for sale. According to the NAPTIP official, the suspects claimed they had been working for their employer for approximately three months without receiving any payment for their services. “They claimed they decided to traffic the child as revenge and to recover the money they said they were owed,” Mr. Joseph stated.

However, the NAPTIP chief noted that the employer has vehemently denied these allegations of outstanding wages. The employer insists that all payments have been made, with the exception of the current month of August, which had not yet concluded. The suspects’ apprehension came about after a farmer, returning from his farm, observed their suspicious actions while with the child. “The farmer questioned them, after which one of the suspects allegedly claimed that the two-year-old child was his own,” Mr. Joseph recounted.

Dissatisfied with their explanation, the farmer raised an alarm, which ultimately led to the suspects’ arrest after they had traversed approximately four communities. Investigations are currently underway, as confirmed by Mr. Joseph, who added that NAPTIP intends to prosecute the suspects once their inquiry is complete. A significant point of contention in the case is the discrepancy in the suspects’ ages. While the community records indicate their ages as 18, 19, and 27, the suspects themselves informed NAPTIP that they are 16, 17, and 25 years old. This inconsistency has prompted the agency to seek assistance from their parents to verify their true ages.

Mr. Joseph highlighted that if their stated ages are confirmed, they could potentially be categorized as children in conflict with the law, which might influence the court’s proceedings. Nevertheless, he emphasized that regardless of their actual ages, the attempted trafficking of the two-year-old child remains an established fact, and the ongoing investigation will determine the appropriate legal process for prosecution.