CAUGHT: We sell male for N400,000, female for N300,000— Child trafficker

Suspected child trafficker, Ndukeabasi Okon, has revealed how they sell a male child for N400,000 and a female child for N300,000.

The suspect, who was arrested by policemen in Akwa Ibom State, revealed that she had been in the business of trafficking since 2016 with her husband, Ndianaabasi Okon, now at large.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Frederick Nnudam, who made the disclosure, said officers acted on a tip-off and swooped on the “babies’ factory,” rescuing a seven-month pregnant Peace Okon Sunday, aged 17, from Eka Ediene village, and Esther Jeremiah, 15, of Ikot Inyang village.

Nnudam also disclosed that a combined team of Itu Division and Anti-Child Theft equally intercepted an 18-seater bus with number plates YEN 709 XA, conveying six underage children.

He added that during investigation, the suspects, one Esther Asuquo Akpan, 42, and Otobong Solomon Akpan, 21, suspected traffickers, confessed that they were taking the victims to Osun State for child labour.

The victims included Akpan, 12; Edim, 14; Michael, 15; Amos, 16; Etim, 16; Akpan, 16, all males of Akpabuyo, Cross River State.

He said the command had transferred the children to Ministry of Women Affairs for custody, while the suspects were charged to court.