Two human trafficking suspects in Akwa Ibom arrested by Uyo Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) will appear in court next week.
The suspects – Okokon Essien Bassey and Ofonime Essien Bassey – were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, February 17.
A statement signed by the Zonal Commander of NAPTIP, Mr Nduka Nwanwenne in Uyo on Wednesday, said the suspects had approached one Mr Emmanuel Monday and his wife who is pregnant and a mother of two children to buy the unborn baby for N500,000.
Nwanwenne said the officials of the agency, who were informed of the offer, advised the couple to agree to the terms of the suspects.
The victims, according to him, were said to have requested for N10,000 from the suspects as a form of commitment and a sign of seriousness.
It was gathered that on receipt of the money, the woman and her two children were handed over to the suspects.
The suspects were said to have taken the woman and her children to Port Harcourt on a motorcycle, but operatives of the agency trailed and arrested them.
“The Uyo Zonal Command of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has apprehended two suspects for human trafficking in an early hour operation on Tuesday.
“The suspects had on several occasion approached one Emmanuel Monday and his wife who is a mother of two kids and presently pregnant and requested for the purchase of the unborn baby for (N500,000).
“On receiving the intelligence, NAPTIP operatives requested the victims to play along with the suspects.
“In the course of several meetings, the victims demanded the sum of N10,000 from the suspects to show their seriousness in what they were being asked to do.
“Upon the payment of the N10,000 to the victims the pregnant woman, along with their two kids were handed over to the suspects,” he said.
The zonal commander said that one of the suspects was said to have escaped while two were apprehended, assuring that the escaped suspect was being trailed by the agency officials and would soon be arrested.
He said that the two arrested suspects have made useful statements, stressing that they would be charged to court next week.
