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 in, 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.
opening the door and alas they met her there weak and almost dead. The police
were called in, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Kenneth Nwosu, told Saturday PUNCH that the baby had been recovered unharmed
and reunited with his mother.
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