Man arrested over attempt to sell his 8-year-old son for N20m in Abuja blames hardship

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Federal Capital Territory Command, has arrested a man, Chinana Telpesa Solomom Tali, for trying to sell his 8-year-old son, Ushafa Tali for N20m.

The FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, paraded the suspect and his accomplice, Pius Aondoakaa, at the Command headquarters on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

According to Odumosu, personnel of the command’s intelligence unit arrested Tali alongside Aondoakaa on January 10, 2024, for conspiring to sell Ushafa. 

“The FCT Commands’ ardent and astute intelligence personnel in their proactive engagements in January 2024, intercepted a father who conspired with another to trade an eight years old boy who he claimed to be his child for the sum of 20 million naira in the FCT,” the Commandant stated. 

“Following a tip-off, the suspects were immediately placed under surveillance. One of the suspects Pius Aondoakaa in a quest for a higher bid rejected the sum of 12 million naira and was looking for 20 million naira for a “He-goat” meaning a boy child.

“He also offered a “she-goat” (i.e. girl child) for 15 million Naira. Pius claimed to have a boy child for sale and that the father of the boy wants to use the proceeds of the sale to take care of his other children.

“In view of this, the acclaimed father of the boy, Mr. China Telpesa Solomon Tali was lured to Abuja on January 10, 2024, by the FCT Intelligence Personnel who posed as a buyer and agreed on the terms to buy and pay the sum of 20million naira.

“He was received at a garden with his son by the undercover personnel who posed as the buyer. The transaction was concluded for the sum of twenty million naira after which officers moved in and arrested the father, Mr. Chinana Tali, male, 42 years old of Logo LGA, of Benue State and recovered the little eight-year-old boy by the name Ushafa Tali.

“The suspect Pius Aondoakaa, male, 29 years old, Logo LGA of Benue State who had connived with the father of the boy was also arrested on January 12, 2024. Both suspects are Tiv by tribe and from a village called R.C.M Abeda Mbadyul in Logo LGA.”

Odumosu handed over the suspects to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation, and prosecution while the boy would be reunited with his mother.

Speaking with journalists, the son’s father claimed that the poor economic situation led to the decision to sell his fourth child for N20m to enable him to train his other children.

“The hardship condition pushed me into agreeing to sell my son for 20 million naira to train the remaining five of my children,” he said. 

The NAPTIP representative, Oseafiana Chineyere while receiving the suspects said “NAPTIP will investigate this matter and the result will be positive.”