Farmer arraigned for selling seven children for N400,000

A 49-year-old farmer, Gabriel Ajor, has been
arraigned before a Lokoja Chief Magistrate’s
Court for allegedly abducting and selling
seven children, including his two sons and
an eight-year-old baby, for N400,000.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that
Ajor allegedly abducted and sold the
children on the pretext of sending them to
schools in Owerri, Imo State, and the United
States of America.
The accused was said to have tricked one
Kenneth Omale and John Attah, parents of
five of the children, into believing he meant
well for the children.
According to the prosecuting police officer,
ASP Cornet Ayabatu, the accused, who hails
from Nwajala in the Ibaji Local Government
Area of Kogi, between March and June,
criminally conspired with others at large to
commit the offence.
He said the children, Goodway Kenneth, 5;
Kindness Kenneth, 3; Shedrack John, 6;
Goodday John, 6; Confidence Ojonuba, eight
months old; Gift Gabriel, 6 and Destiny
Gabriel, 3 – all males – were allegedly taken
to an undisclosed destination.
Ayabatu said investigation led to the arrest
of Ajor who confessed that he was paid
N400,000 for the seven children by one
Malik in Owerri.
He was charged with criminal conspiracy
and kidnapping contrary to Sections 97 (1)
of the Penal Code and punishable under
section 4(3) (a) of the Kogi State Kidnapping
and other Related Offences (Prohibition)
Law 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Alhassan Husaini, said
he was inclined to put on hold all ancillary
applications connected to the case till the
next sitting in view of the serious nature of
the allegations.
Husaini ordered that the accused be
remanded at the State Criminal Investigation
and Intelligence Department custody in
Lokoja and adjourned to August 24 for
further mention.