Chukwu, who hails from Okija in the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state, was said to have connived with her 17-year-old daughter, identified as Joy, to sell off her two sons “due to the economic hardship in the country.”
Chukwu, while being interrogated, explained that she had 11 kids and decided to sell two of them when she could not cater to them.
The state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, led some security operatives to arrest the suspects late on Tuesday after posing as buyers for the children when information about the transaction got to the ministry.
She said, “I have 11 kids and when I could not cater to them, I decided to sell two of them. Since they are boys, the prices were kept at N1 million each but after serious bargaining by the commissioner, who posed as the buyer, we decided to sell them at N1.8 million, instead of the initial N2 million.
“I developed an interest in the business and decided to embark on such adventure after my neighbour successfully sold one of her kids. This was my first attempt at the business.
“I had only two kids for my husband and got the remaining nine children after my husband’s demise and ever since then, I have not been able to give them adequate care and support.”
Also speaking, her 17-year-old daughter, who is the eldest of the 11 children, added that the plan was to use the proceeds to advance her tertiary education.
While reacting to the development, Obinabo ordered that the remaining children of the suspect be taken into the state government’s custody for proper care while also vowing to apprehend the woman’s said neighbour, who had sold off her kid.
The commissioner further directed that after the neighbour has been arrested, contact tracing of the kid would follow to retrieve the child.
Obinabo gave assurance of the state government’s resolve to eradicate crimes and warned that anyone found engaging in such act would be handed over to the police and prosecuted.
