The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Federal Capital Territory Command, has apprehended one Chinana Telpesa Solomom Tali, for allegedly trying to sell his 8-year-old son, Ushafa Tali for N20m.
Parading the suspect and his accomplice, Pius Aondoakaa, at the Command headquarters on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, the FCT Commandant of the Corp, Olusola Odumosu stated that personnel of the command’s intelligence unit nabbed Tali alongside Aondoakaa on January 10, 2024, for conspiring to sell Ushafa Tali.
He revealed further; “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”.
It was gathered that following a tip-off, the suspects were instantly placed under surveillance. One of the suspects Pius Aondoakaa in a quest for a higher bid turned down on the sum of 12 million naira and was requesting for 20 million naira for a “He-goat”, a coded term referring to a male child.
It was reported that the seller also offered a “she-goat” (i.e. girl child) for 15 million Naira. One of the suspect, 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.
Odumosu noted in parts; “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.”
He said that the suspect, Pius Aondoakaa, male, 29 years old, Logo LGA of Benue State who had conspired with the father of the boy, was also arrested on January 12, 2024 adding that both suspects are of the Tiv extraction and from a village called R.C.M Abeda Mbadyul in Logo LGA of Benue state.
Meantime, the Commandant has since handed over the suspects to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation, and prosecution while the boy is said to have reunited with his mother.
In an interview with newsmen, the son’s father claimed that the poor economic situation was responsible for his 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”.
While receiving the suspects, the NAPTIP representative, Oseafiana Chineyere said that her agency will investigate the matter and the result will be positive.
