Parents sell children for N4,000 in Makurdi
Written by Yekini Jimoh, Lokoja Sunday, 29 July 2012

REPORTS have indicated that parents in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, were involved in the sale of their children to human traffickers at the sum of N4,000 or N5,000 per ward.

This was revealed when the Quick Response Group Team of the Nigerian Army in Lokoja arrested one human trafficking suspect, Mr. Sunday Agbo, from Benue state.


Parading the suspect to newsmen on Friday at the Army Headquarters, the Commandant of Army Record, Major General Alphonso Chukwu said the suspect was arrested alongside 10 children, both male and female, on July 26 by his Quick Response Group Team, along Itobe-Ajaokuta road.

According to him, the suspect who hails from Obi Local Government Council of Benue State was arrested in a ash colour Toyota Camry car with the registration number CW 322 LSD with 10 children, comprising of six males and four females between the ages of seven and 19 heading to Lagos state.

He stated that when the suspect was confronted by his men, he said that the children belonged to him, but after further interrogation, he confessed that they were handed over to him by his agent, one Madam Janet Akpa, from the same village and that he was asked to deliver them to another agent in Lagos.

The Army Commandant stressed that investigations revealed that Agbo had been trafficking children by discussing with the parents and offering a mere sum of N4,000 or N5,000 naira under the pretext of getting them jobs in Lagos as househelps.

The Army Commandant who enjoined parents to be vigilant so as not to fall prey of the human traffickers, stressed that the children were most vulnerable to ritualists.

One of the children, Blessing Jacob, who said she had just finished her promotional examination to SSS 2 said she was told to follow the suspect to Lagos for her holiday where she would work for a while.

While still waiting for further details, the suspect received a text message from the agent in Lagos that one of the children he earlier brought to Lagos had absconded from the house.

While speaking with the suspect, he disclosed to Sunday Tribune that this was not his first time, adding that parents of the children were given a token amount of money ranging from N4000 to N5000 for each of the children

basher: I'm shocked at the almost sympathetic posts I’m reading here! Posts like - "Na wa o! Poverty ehn...i cant blame them,they breed like pigs around that area" & "Poverty is a big disease indeed. But, what will N5,000 do for them?".

If it were happening somewhere in the south east of south west, what we would have been reading here would have been - "yoruba/igbo people are very greedy and would do anything for money"; "yoruba/igbo people are very evil"; "worst tribe in the world" etc..

miteolu: Destiny & future sold

slimdiggi: you may be right...or wrong, the level of poverty they have there can NEVER be compared to the one down south because no matter how desperately hungry a yoruba or igbo person is they would rather steal than to sell their child for 4OOO haba! Bruv leave story, poverty and their level of promiscuity is high

onomeasike:

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/news/8047-parents-sell-children-for-n4000-in-makurdi

Krucifax: Most Nigerian households have had a maid/house-help at one time or the other. Most of those arrangements include procuring the services of the boy/girl in return for monetary payments to the parents/guardians. In some instances the maid/house-help will have their education funded by the people procuring his/her service. This is not unusual in Nigeria,matter of fact it is a widely used practice.

However there are shortcomings is this arrangements as the problem of abuse of the maid/house-help is quite prevalent. Now all of this should be differentiated from "human trafficking" which is another kettle of fish entirely.
I for one feel sympathy for the guardians/parents as in most instances they are in crippling poverty,uneducated,unbelievably naive.You will find that in most cases they believe their wards/children are going to find a better life.They hope their wards/children will acquire trade skills and/or education in addition to the money they are receiving for them. So they hire their wards/children out.

I think the headline is misleading,as if there is indeed anyone selling their wards/children for N4000 chances are it is a very tiny minority who of course should face the law.
Chances are the "traffickers" have lied to both parent and child, the government and local services and communities themselves should get involved and check the whole system in it's entirety. Lest we forget that statistically speaking a greater percentage of Nigerians are both poor and poorly educated. And it's easy for the rest of us to sit in our middle class homes and pass judgement. N4000 would not cover the cost of drinks on a night out for some of us Nigerians but for the rest of us Nigerians it is enough for us to give our child away to a stranger,what does that say about inequality?