Ogun State Police Command have apprehended a 36 year old man, Kingsley Essien for trafficking his wife for prostitution and sold her off to Mali, and subsequently sold his two years old son in Nigeria.
The suspect however pocketed a sum of two million naira as sales return from the mother and child.
This was confirmed in a press statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta by DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command on Thursday.
Oyeyemi narrated in the release that the suspect was arrested following the report lodged at Agbara Divisional headquarters by the suspect’s wife, Bright Essien.
He stated: “She reported that sometime in October 2021, her husband, Kingsley Essien, informed her that he had secured a job for her in Bamako, Mali Capital, and that he has assisted many people to that country for greener pastures before.
“She explained further that being her husband, she didn’t suspect any foul play until she got to Mali only to discover that she has been sold to human trafficker cartel headed by a woman at the rate of one million four hundred thousand naira (N1,400,000.00)
“While in Mali, she was forced into prostitution, but later find her way to Nigeria Embassy in Bamako where she was assisted back to Nigeria. On getting to Nigeria, she discovered that her two years old son in care of her husband was no where to be found.
“Upon the report, the DPO Agbara Division, SP Abiodun Salau detailed his detectives to go after the suspect, and he was eventually arrested.
“On interrogation, the suspect confessed to the commission of the crime, he confessed further that he sold the two years old son to somebody at the rate of six hundred thousand naira.
“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspect to Anti Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
“He equally ordered that the buyer of the son must be traced and arrested in order to recover the stolen child.”
