SATANIC SALE. Initially sold by an uncle for =N=200,000, 3-year old Uyo boy passes through 3 buyers, before being rescued in Aba



The Suspects

A three-year-old baby boy called Godswill Friday Ukpong who was sold as retail commodity to some people in Aba, Abia State has finally returned home to his parents. But he must pass through the state police headquarters first, with a retinue of traders, before getting home.

The story of Godswill, as narrated by the Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner, Mr Felix Uyanna, sounds like a fairy tale good enough for Nollywood directors.

Uyanna said little Godswill’s journey to Aba started from the home of his maternal grandparent in Ekpene Ediene village in Ibiono Ibom Local Government area of Akwa Ibom State. There, his uncle, Israel Nkereuwem, allegedly conspired with another relation, one Emmanuel Edet Morgan, to abduct and sell him off for N200, 000 to a couple, Peter and Ebere Ekanem.

Apparently realizing that they too could make money from the boy, Ebere, described by the state police boss as an ex-convict, teamed up with the husband, Peter, and resold the child to one Godson Uchechi at the rate of N400, 000 in Aba. But Uchechi himself made another N80, 000 from the business by further selling the child to one Oluchika at the rate of N480, 000.

While these transactions were going on, Israel, who is a brother to the child’s mother, and had been residing with her, joined in a mock search for the boy even as he equally dashed to the house of an assumed prophet cum herbalist, Evan Dickson Eshiet, to seek spiritual protection as well as cast a spell on the parents of the child to forget about him. The prophet charged him N20, 000 and said all was well.
But all was not well afterwards. His sister, Ime Nkereuwem insisted on finding her baby said to have been left in the care of Israel, especially, as the boy’s father, said to be living separately with the child’s mother, invited the police into the matter. It was the police that eventually helped to unravel the puzzle.

The boy’s 18-year old mother told pressmen that she had dropped the child with her 20-year old brother, Israel, as usual, and left for her hairdressing salon. She said upon her return, Israel had started telling her stories that the child had disappeared.
“When I asked my other brother whether he had seen my baby, he said that he had earlier bought biscuits for the boy and that he later saw Israel eating the biscuit and rice with the boy,” the lady said.

So all eyes were on Israel. And he admitted to the press at the police station that he was goaded by Emmanuel to sell the boy.
But the story had some twist as the long journey that Godswill made to Aba with money exchanging hands several times along the way was actually prearranged. The police commissioner said the final destination after Oluchika had paid N480,000, was the house of a childless couple, whose name he did not disclose.
He said the couple had applied at the child welfare department in Abia State to adopt a child but had waited for more than three years without positive result. Apparently aware of the frustration the couple was going through, the plan to steal a child and present to them as coming from the child’s welfare department was hatched by the Aba gang who contacted Ebere Peter Ekanem in Uyo who then struck a deal with Israel in Ibiono.
Ebere is actually said to have left prison on April 24, where she had served a seven-month jail term. On April 29, just five days after she left prison, she got enmeshed in the child theft with Israel.

Uyanna said the police were still investigating the culpability or innocence of the childless couple in Aba. He did not confirm whether they were under arrest or not as they were not on parade as the rest of the suspects.
Godswill who was with the mother at the police headquarters, was recovered on Wednesday, May 25 after he had spent almost one month moving from one buyer to another.

Peter, Ebere’s husband was said to be on the run while the boy’s father was not in the station when the suspects were paraded.
But the herbalist cum prophet, Eshiet, admitted charging and collecting N20, 000 from Israel. But he said Godswill was brought to him as a boy with a mental problem, saying he cured and discharged him within 24 hours. He denied knowing what transpired afterwards.

Source : Sun Newspaper