Sani Wilson Enemona
Security operatives attached to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Akwa Ibom state command, have arrested a man simply identified as Elisha Effiong for allegedly conspiring with his wife to sell their two daughters aged 6 and 4 respectively for the sum of N700,000.
Daily Star Nigeria gathered that Effiong, who lives in Cameroon with his wife was arrested in Uyo the Akwa Ibom state capital on November 15, 2021, through an intelligence while trying to sell their two daughters, identified as Abasifreke Edet and Rachael Edet.
A statement made available to reporters on Wednesday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Umana Ukeme, disclosed that the suspect said that his decision to want to sell his children was borne out of extreme hardship.
According to the statement, the suspect confided with a private security guard of his plans while the guard, in turn, notified the commandant of the corps Mr. Abidemi Majekodunmi who immediately ordered the arrest of the culprit.
The statement partly reads “The suspect, Elisha Edet Effiong,’was apprehended with his two children identified as Abasifreke Edet,6, and Rachel Edet 4, while attempting to sell them for N700,000 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
”Effiong, 40 years was apprehended at FulCare Hospital along Ekpanya Street, where he notified the Security guard of his intention to sell his two children to pay off his debt and meet other financial challenges.
“The security notified the NSCDC and immediately, Commandant Abidemi Majekodunmi detailed personnel of the Anti-human trafficking unit of the corps who swung into action and apprehended the suspect alongside with his two daughters: Abasifreke Edet 6 years old and Rachael Edet 4 years old”.
According to Ukeme preliminary investigations have been concluded while that the case would be transferred to NAPTIP zonal office, Uyo for prosecution.
The commandant, who commended the private security guard for the prompt release of intelligence that aided the arrest of the suspect, however, condemned the heinous act, describing it as a crime against humanity.
He further charged the Akwa Ibom people to always avail personnel of the corps with timely and actionable intelligence that could lead to arrest and tracking of criminal elements in the state.