Rita Odafe
Two women, Blessing Okonkwo, 24, and Efunaya Nabufe, 35, were apprehended by the Adamawa State Police Command for allegedly stealing and buying a 4-year-old boy.
The suspects, residents of Mubi North LGA, have admitted to the crime involving the child named Friday Okonkwo.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, revealed that the boy’s mother, Hauwa Lawan, residing in Rimirgo, Askira Uba, on the Adamawa-Borno border, reported the abduction of her son on Tuesday, July 2.
Nguroje explained that Blessing, the boy’s elder sister, persuaded their mother to allow Friday to go with her to Mubi for schooling, where there are better educational facilities.
Unaware of the deceitful plan, Hauwa permitted the boy to leave, not realizing that Blessing had struck a deal with Efunaya to purchase him.
Blessing misrepresented the boy as her own offspring during the transaction, falsely claiming to have given birth to him during her time in secondary school.
She sold the child for N410,000, used some of the money to purchase a grinding machine, and gave the rest, N200,000, to her fiancé.
