Three Workers Accused of Trying to Sell Employer's Two-Year-Old Over Unpaid Wages

A quick-thinking farmer's suspicion has led to the arrest of three workers accused of attempting to sell their employer's two-year-old child in Ogoja, Cross River State, according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The suspects allegedly took the child from Ogberia Ochoro community and were trying to move him elsewhere for sale when a farmer returning from his farm noticed them acting suspiciously with the toddler.

"The farmer questioned them, after which one of the suspects allegedly claimed that the two-year-old child was his own," said Oba Joseph, head of operations for NAPTIP's Cross River Command, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, August 27, in Calabar.

Unconvinced by the explanation, the farmer raised the alarm.

"The farmer who was not satisfied with their explanation raised an alarm, leading to the suspects' arrest after they had crossed about four communities," Joseph narrated.

NAPTIP said it received a tip-off about the incident on Monday.

The suspects reportedly told the agency they had worked for their employer for roughly three months without pay, and that the alleged trafficking attempt was an act of revenge to recoup what they were owed.

"They claimed they decided to traffic the child as revenge and to recover the money they said they were owed," Joseph said.

The employer, however, has denied the claim, telling NAPTIP that all wages had been settled except for August, which had not yet ended at the time of the incident.

A complication has emerged around the suspects' true ages.

Community records list them as 18, 19 and 27, but the suspects themselves gave their ages as 16, 17 and 25.

NAPTIP said it was now working with their parents to verify their actual ages.

Joseph explained that if the younger ages are confirmed, the suspects could be classified as children in conflict with the law, which would affect how the courts handle the case.

Even so, he insisted the alleged crime itself was not in question.

"Regardless of their ages, the attempted trafficking of the two-year-old child remained established, while the investigation would determine the appropriate prosecution process," he said.

NAPTIP said investigations are continuing and that the suspects will be prosecuted once the probe is concluded.