Money over baby: Parents sell 5-month-old for N400k

28-year-old Okwuchukwu Ibekwe has been
arrested by the police for allegedly selling his
five-month-old son to a gang in Anambra
State for N400,000 for the sole purpose of
boosting his business.
Okwuchukwu together with his wife felt that
the only way to alleviate their current
impoverished condition was to sell their
child.
With this decision, the Ibekwes contacted
one Chinelo, who is still at large, on
December 17, 2015, for the
transaction. Chinelo had allegedly paid the
Ibekwes N400,000 ─ N250,000 to the father
and N150,000 to the mother of the baby.
Their actions were exposed when the
Ibekwes ensued in a fight after Okwuchukwu
returned from his Anambra trip and
apparently refused to give his wife her share.
Mrs. Obiekwe, in a rage led by greed,
reported the matter to the police, fleeing
right after she realized the consequences.
Okwuchukwu was, however, arrested and
detained at the Police Gender Unit, Ikeja,
while police operatives also arrested
Chinelo’s husband in Anambra State. The
baby and Chinelo are yet to be found.
In a confessional revelation during a public
parade on Wednesday, Okwuchukwu insisted
that his wife was fully aware of the sale of
their baby for N400,000 to Chinelo.
He said, “Chinelo was to give me N400,000
for the baby. My wife was the one who
suggested that we dispose of the baby to
meet our business needs.
“But Chinelo gave me N250,000 for the baby
when I went to deliver him to her in
Anambra State.
“When I returned, my wife and I quarrelled
and she ran away for three days. I did not
know that she went to report the matter to
the police. She was concerned with her own
share of N150,000.
“I sell vehicle spare parts in Ladipo market.
“It was a lawyer who called me that my wife
had reported me to the police, and that I
should come and see her. When I went there,
I was arrested.
“I do not know the whereabouts of my son. I
did not know Chinelo would run away with
my child.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai
Owoseni has revealed that the case was
undergoing “intense investigation.”
“The suspect is assisting the police with
information to recover the baby.