The Federal Capital Territory FCT Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested a man, Chinana Solomon Telpesa Tali for attempting to sell his eight-year-old boy, Ushafa, for N20 million.
Tali was arrested alongside his accomplice, Pius Aondoakaa.
NSCDC FCT Commandant, Mr Olusola Odumosu who paraded the suspects, said the child trafficking suspect was arrested after being lured to Abuja from Benue.
He said Aondoakaa, who was seeking a higher bid, rejected an initial offer of N12 Million for the “He-goat”, a disgusted term he used for the boy during the sting operation.
Odumosu said 42-year old Tali and 29-year old Aondoakaa are both of Tiv tribe from R.C.M Abeda Mbadyul village, Logo LGA and would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP for further investigations and prosecution.
Ushafa, the eight-year-old victim, revealed during interrogation that he is the fourth child of the accused father.
Odumosu said; “We have re-doubled our efforts to reduce crime in the FCT to the barest minimum. To this end the FCT Commands’ ardent and astute intelligence personnel in their proactive engagements in the month of January, 2024, intercepted a father who conspired with another to trade an eight year old boy who he claimed to be his child for the sum of N20 Million in the FCT.
“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 N12 Million and was looking for N12 Million for a ‘He-goat’ meaning a boy child.
“He also offered a ‘she-goat’ (i.e. girl child) for N15B Million. Pius claimed to have a boy child for sale and that the father of the boy wanted 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 the 10th January, 2024 by the FCT Intelligence Personnel who posed as buyers and agreed on the terms to buy and pay the sum of N20 million.
“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 Solomon Telpesa Tali, male, 42 years old of Logo LGA, of Benue State and recovered the little eight year old boy by name Ushafa Chiana Tali. That was how the poor boy was rescued from the ignoble and inhuman conduct of the so-called father”, he said.
Tali who is a father of six, said he decided to sell his son to get money to feed his other children, blaming the economic hardship in the country for his crime.
He said; “It is because of hardship and no money so l needed to find a way to train my other children,” Tali said.
NAPTIP Senior Intelligence Assistant, Mrs Chinere Oseafiama, assured that the case will be thoroughly investigated for appropriately actions.
In a related incident, the FCT-NSCDC also arrested a 23-year-old man named Yakubu Mati on January 11, 2024, for the vandalism of armoured cables along the Idu Metro Railway Lines.
