Posted by By Kingsely Emereuwa, Umuahia on
Trouble is brewing in Ogbodikwu village in Umuopara, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State over serious allegations by the youths of the village that a man recently sold his son for the sum of one hundred and twenty thousand naira.
Trouble is brewing in Ogbodikwu village in Umuopara, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State over serious allegations by the youths of the village that a man recently sold his son for the sum of one hundred and twenty thousand naira.
But Police sources say the child was not sold even when the villagers have produced glaring facts to prove that truly the boy, age three was actually sold by his father in connivance with his live-in lover and the matron of a maternity home in Umuahia which is notorious for selling abandoned babies and babies from unwanted pregnancies from teenagers.
According to a reliable sources, the 'commodity-baby" was a product of an illicit affair between the 'merchant father" (name withheld) and a girl he met while working at Bende in the Abia North Senatorial District, three years ago.
The man was said to have abandoned the mother of his baby and returned to his village where he started another romance with a divorcee who already had three children for her former husband from the neighbouring Ohiya village in the same Umuahia South L.G.A of Abia State. Daily Sun sources said it was while living with the new lover that his estranged lover brought the boy born for him back to his village since she was finding it difficult to raise the boy alone.
According to the source, the boy had lived with the father until his mysterious disappearance from home, and upon enquiry, the father had informed the family members that the boy went to stay with his mother at Bende.
However, the lid was blown open when during a disagreement that eventually led to a fight, the new lover called her Romeo a shameless man and openly accused him of selling the three year old boy for the sum of N120,000. The woman was also said to have revealed that proceeds from the deal was what the man used to open a barbing saloon, bought a television set, a small generating set as well as a G.S.M handset, and new set of clothings.
According to Daily Sun investigations, youths from the village immediately swooped on the man as he was at his saloon trying to refuel his generator. They demanded to see the boy who was said to have gone to stay with his mother in Bende and when the father was not coming with any answer, the elders fearing the worst could happen invited policemen from Amankwo Police Station who now rescued the man from the claws of irate youths who wanted to give jungle justice instantly. Daily Sun visited Amankwo Police Station near the Express Tower where the man was detained and police sources confirmed the incident and said the matter had been transferred to the state CID for further investigation.
At the state CID, Daily Sun was told another version of the story. A police source said the boy was not sold but was handed over to the matron of a home for proper care since the father could not take care of the boy.
Reacting to the claim, a family source told Daily Sun that the police authorities are trying to play on the community's intelligence as well as underrating the people's will. The source challenged the police to produce the baby wherever he is.