A desperate father, Kanayo Awurum, has been apprehended by the Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), over the sale of his two-year-old son, Chukwunonyelum Awurum for N650,000.
Awurum sold the child to one Mrs. Cecilia Nwatu who was in desperate need of a male child to save her husband’s family name.
Awurum reportedly deceived his wife, Kelechi, that he was taking their son to his sister in their hometown, Owerri, following a conflict with their landlord.
Mrs. Awurum who suspected that their husband was playing pranks, alerted his friend, Coach Jerry, who uncovered the plot, leading to the arrest of Awurum.
She said, “My husband had demanded a refund of the N140, 000 he paid for self-contain apartment because the toilet system was not functioning. I discovered that my husband was playing games. I informed Kanayo’s friend, Coach Jerry, who uncovered the plot and advised me to report him at the Ikotun Police Station and I did.”
At the station, the police asked Mrs. Awurum to call her husband on phone and tell him that the Landlord was ready to refund the N140, 000. Immediately Awurum showed up, he was arrested, leading to the arrest of 2 others involved in the plot.
The others are Nkechi Obi, 45 and Gladys Nwobodo. The whereabouts of Emmanuel Obi and Emmanuel Obi who were also involved in the plot remains at large.
On his arrest, Awurum initially told the policemen that he gave out his son as collateral for borrowing N300, 000. He later confessed to selling his son when Nwatu was arrested.
Nwatu said she wanted to adopt a male child to save her husband’s family name because a male child is important to them. She said Awurum’s father and others convinced her to buy the boy.
Nwobodo, the younger sister to Cecilia’s husband claimed that she was ignorant of the plot to buy the boy.
She said, “She (Cecilia) asked me to accompany him to where she wanted to collect an adopted child. I did not know that the people wanted to sell the child until I got to Owerri.”
