Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Couple are in police net for attempting to sell off their own child and use its proceeds for the purchase of a visa to travel out of the country.
The couple, Uchenna Eziekwe, 28, and Chineye Eziekwe, 22, heap the blamed of their actions on the current economic hardship in the country and claimed that they wanted to use the proceeds from the sale to procure travelling documents to Canada.
The couple was said to have declared their intention to sell their little two years old boy at Isolo General Hospital, in the Islolo area of the state.
It was gathered that the management of the hospital later informed the police at Islolo Division, after pretending to have agreed to do the bidding of the couple.
In their confessional statement to the police, the couple admitted attempting to sell their son for an undisclosed amount.
They, however, blamed the current hardship in the country for their actions and begged for forgiveness.
“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 die of hunger.
“The idea was mine. I convinced my wife, though it wasn’t easy” Unchenna confessed when he was paraded yesterday at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja area of the state.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, who paraded the couple said they were arrested on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, while attempting to sell the boy.
Fayoade who was represented by the Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said on Tuesday, around 2.45pm, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Isolo Police Station received an information that a couple went to Isolo General hospital and declared their intention to sell their baby boy.
“Upon receipt of the information, operatives from the Station moved swiftly to the hospital where one Uchenna Eziekwe, 28, and Chineye Eziekwe, 22, were about to sell their child.
“The boy, 2, was rescued. Upon interrogation, the couple stated that they decided to sell the baby to enable the man travel to Canada for a greener pasture to Canada. However, investigation is ongoing”Fayoade said.