And some people will say God has not been fair to them. So a jobless
31-year old man, who married two women connived with his first wife,
who is yet to bore him a child to sell the new born of his second wife
for the sum of N500,000. They succeeded in selling the baby after
deceiving the woman to come to Lagos with her child. The husband lodged
her in a hotel, took the baby away and locked the mother in the hotel
without alerting anybody or dropping the hotel key.
She was there for four days until an employee
thought of opening the door and alas they met her there weak and almost
dead. The police were called him, and they managed to trace the man,
arrested him alongside with his wife and the person that bought the
baby. Read the full story from Punch below.
Just imagine if God had given the first wife many children, she
would have been selling them one after the other, like they mean
nothing.
thought of opening the door and alas they met her there weak and almost
dead. The police were called him, and they managed to trace the man,
arrested him alongside with his wife and the person that bought the
baby. Read the full story from Punch below.
Just imagine if God had given the first wife many children, she
would have been selling them one after the other, like they mean
nothing.
The Nigerian Child Rights Law 2003
specifically prohibits the sale or procurement of a child but in the
world 31-year-old Gideon Ani lives in, no such law exists.
specifically prohibits the sale or procurement of a child but in the
world 31-year-old Gideon Ani lives in, no such law exists.
Ani, an unemployed indigene of Abia State, who
is currently being quizzed by investigators at the Department of
Criminal Investigation, Yaba, Lagos had just had his first child, a boy,
from his second wife, 23-year-old Joy.
is currently being quizzed by investigators at the Department of
Criminal Investigation, Yaba, Lagos had just had his first child, a boy,
from his second wife, 23-year-old Joy.
His first wife, Victoria had no child yet.
If one expected that Ani’s newborn son would be a
bundle of joy for him and his family, one would be right.
Unfortunately, the joy that came to Ani’s heart was for a totally
different reason.
bundle of joy for him and his family, one would be right.
Unfortunately, the joy that came to Ani’s heart was for a totally
different reason.
“I am jobless, I had no money and was suffering
along with my family. Then a strange thought entered my mind,” he told
police investigators.
along with my family. Then a strange thought entered my mind,” he told
police investigators.
Ani’s strange thought was not about urgently
looking for a job to take care of his family and the new addition;
neither was it about obtaining a loan that could help him resuscitate
his business.
looking for a job to take care of his family and the new addition;
neither was it about obtaining a loan that could help him resuscitate
his business.
He had found a way out of his dire financial troubles – looking for a buyer for his son.
“I thought about it for a while, and I realised
that since the baby was mine, I could do whatever I wanted with him,” he
told the police
that since the baby was mine, I could do whatever I wanted with him,” he
told the police
But Ani realised he could not broker the deal
alone and thought about the closest person he could share such a strange
thought with – his first wife.
alone and thought about the closest person he could share such a strange
thought with – his first wife.
Victoria, an Ebonyi State indigene, who had been
married to her husband without a child for more than three years,
instantly jumped at the idea.
married to her husband without a child for more than three years,
instantly jumped at the idea.
She was saddled with the responsibility of finding a buyer.
A police source who was privy to the case, told
our correspondent that Victoria found a buyer who agreed to pay N500,000
for the baby.
our correspondent that Victoria found a buyer who agreed to pay N500,000
for the baby.
“The husband brought Joy from Abia State and
lodged her at a motel in Orile area of Lagos. He took the baby from her
under the guise of taking the baby to the clinic for treatment,” the
source said.
lodged her at a motel in Orile area of Lagos. He took the baby from her
under the guise of taking the baby to the clinic for treatment,” the
source said.
Our correspondent learnt that if not for the employees of the motel, Joy would have died in the room in which she was lodged.
It was learnt that in order to ensure Joy did
not venture out of the motel, her husband locked her in when he left
with the baby.
not venture out of the motel, her husband locked her in when he left
with the baby.
She was only rescued four days later, when a
motel employee who was concerned that the room had not been opened for a
while, asked a floor manager to unlock the door.
motel employee who was concerned that the room had not been opened for a
while, asked a floor manager to unlock the door.
“By the time they found the woman, she could not
even speak properly anymore, she was too weak. She had no phone with
her. She had not eaten for a long time,” the police said.
even speak properly anymore, she was too weak. She had no phone with
her. She had not eaten for a long time,” the police said.
It was after Joy was stabilised that she managed
to narrate what had happened and gave information on how her husband
could be found by the police from the Orile division.
to narrate what had happened and gave information on how her husband
could be found by the police from the Orile division.
Our police source said, “We eventually found him
and he also led us to where we arrested his first wife. The woman told
us that she only agreed with the husband after he pressured her to go
along with the plan.
and he also led us to where we arrested his first wife. The woman told
us that she only agreed with the husband after he pressured her to go
along with the plan.
“The first thing the man said was that he only
gave the child out since it was his to give and that he did not actually
collect money. But we later learnt that he gave him out N500,000 was
agreed.”
gave the child out since it was his to give and that he did not actually
collect money. But we later learnt that he gave him out N500,000 was
agreed.”
The police have arrested the buyer of the baby, whose identity is still being kept secret.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that Ani and his first
wife still maintain that no money had exchanged hands but the
investigators at the DCI told Saturday PUNCH that whether they had been
paid for the baby or not, they would get to the root of the matter.
wife still maintain that no money had exchanged hands but the
investigators at the DCI told Saturday PUNCH that whether they had been
paid for the baby or not, they would get to the root of the matter.
When our correspondent visited the DCI, it was
learnt that investigators had prevented journalists from photographing
the suspects.
learnt that investigators had prevented journalists from photographing
the suspects.
A relations of the first wife, whom our
correspondent saw at the department explained that he could not comment
as efforts were being made by their families to settle the issue.
correspondent saw at the department explained that he could not comment
as efforts were being made by their families to settle the issue.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Police
Command, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu, told Saturday PUNCH that the baby had been
recovered unharmed and reunited with his mother.
Command, Mr. Kenneth Nwosu, told Saturday PUNCH that the baby had been
recovered unharmed and reunited with his mother.
About Author
