Emotion ran high at the Lagos State Police Command on Thursday, after a 28-year-old man revealed how he convinced his wife to sell their two-year-old baby to raise money for him to travel out of the country.

The father of one, a labourer identified as Uchenna Eziekwe (28), and his wife, Chineye (22), were arrested while making enquiry on how to sell their baby boy at the Isolo General Hospital, Lagos.

Explaining how they were arrested, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, revealed that the arrest was effected on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.

He said: “About 2:45 pm on Tuesday, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Isolo Police Station received information that a couple went to the Isolo General Hospital, declaring their intention to sell their baby boy. Upon receipt of the information, operatives from the division moved swiftly to the hospital, where Uchenna Eziekwe and Chineye Eziekwe were about to sell their child. The baby was rescued. Upon interrogation, the couple said they decided to sell the baby to enable the man to travel to Canada for greener pastures. However, investigation is ongoing.”

Speaking with journalists, Eziekwe said the decision to sell the child was his, attributing his action to the harsh economy.

He said: “It was a difficult decision, but we had no choice but to sell our baby. We felt it would be better to sell him to someone who can take care of him than to allow him to die of hunger. I muted the idea and convinced my wife. We had to do it because of hardship. I am a labourer, I go to construction sites to look for work while my wife does nothing. Like I said, it was a hard decision.” (Vanguard)

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