The Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, has apprehended a 38-year-old woman, Chinyere Chukwu, for attempting to sell her two sons. Chukwu, a resident of Okija in the Ihiala Local Government Area, allegedly collaborated with her 17-year-old daughter, Joy, in the illicit act, citing economic hardship as the motive.
During interrogation, Chukwu revealed that with a total of 11 children, she decided to sell two of her sons due to her inability to provide for their needs. The State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, led security operatives to arrest the suspects after receiving information about the transaction. To apprehend them, the commissioner posed as a potential buyer.
Chukwu confessed that, influenced by her neighbor’s success in selling one of her children, she ventured into the business for the first time. She initially priced the boys at N1 million each, but after negotiation with the commissioner posing as a buyer, they agreed to sell them for N1.8 million instead of the initial N2 million.
Explaining her situation, Chukwu stated, “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.”
Her 17-year-old daughter, the eldest of the 11 children, mentioned that the plan was to use the proceeds from the sale to fund her tertiary education.
Reacting to the incident, Commissioner Obinabo ordered that the remaining children of the suspect be taken into the custody of the state government for proper care. She also pledged to apprehend the woman’s neighbor who had sold off her own child, and subsequently, the government would trace and retrieve the child. Obinabo emphasized the state government’s commitment to eradicating such crimes, warning that anyone found engaging in such acts would be handed over to the police for prosecution.
