A man, Gabriel Okon Ekpiri, has been arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command for allegedly selling his nine-year-old son.
NIGERIACRIME gathered that the suspect, a native of Ekit Itam Akpan Obong community in Itu Local Government Area of the state, sold the boy for the sum of N400,000.
Confirming this on Monday night, the police spokesperson, Odiko Macdon, said the Quick Intervention Squad of the command apprehended the suspect.
During the interrogation, Ekpiri was said to have confessed to the police that he committed the crime he was being arrested for but he reportedly blamed the act on the devil and economic hardship being experienced in the country.
The statement read in part, “The Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State, Olatoye Durusinmi, has condemned the action of one Gabriel Okon Ekpiri of Ekit Itam Akpan Obong in Itu Local Government Area, who sold his nine-year-old son for N400,000.
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“The CP noted that the act was barbaric and totally unacceptable, and the suspect who was arrested by the quick Intervention Squad of the Command has confessed to the crime while blaming the devil and economic hardship for his actions.”
In another development, police operatives on Monday killed a suspected terrorist and recovered a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in a foiled attack on Ruwan Dorawa village in Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State.
According to the spokesman, Katsina State Police Command, ASP Sadiq Abubakar, the incident occurred yesterday at about 11 am.
Sadiq said the suspected terrorists, wielding dangerous weapons such as GPMG and AK47 rifles stormed the village in large numbers, shooting sporadically but fortunately, police operatives were able to rescue the community from their heinous mission.
“Unhesitatingly, the Area Commander, along with DPO Dutsinma Division, led a team of police operatives to the scene and engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun duel, as a result of which they were forced to abandon their heinous mission.
“While combing the scene, the remains of one of the neutralized suspected terrorists as well as one GPMG with 58 rounds of 7.62mm x 51mm live ammunition were recovered. Investigation is ongoing,” ASP Sadiq said.