Man, 2 Others Jailed Over Attempt To Sell Son For N8m

A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Akure , Ondo State yesterday sentenced three Benin nationals to three years in prison each for attempting to sell a 13-year-old boy. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the convicts were the boy’s father, Kareem Saibu (39), Abdullateef Mumuni (24) and Kadir Rasaq (24).

Chief Magistrate Adebanji Ayeomoni, who sentenced each of them without an option of fine, said:  “Having found the three accused guilty on the twocounts of conspiracy and attempt to sell a human being, the three are hereby sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each without an option of fine.”

The accused, of no fixed address, were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempt to sell a human being, and they all pleaded guilty to the charges.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Assistant Suprintendent of Police (ASP), Zakari Ibrahim, told the court that the father of the victim and two others conspired to sell the minor for N8 million.

Ibrahim said the boy’s father brought him from Cotonou in Benin Republic to Nigeria to meet with the other accused persons, who live at Ibadan, to help him find buyers.

According to him, luck ran out on them when they contacted someone in Ondo town, who in turn, informed the police about their intention.

“Their contact in Ondo pretended to be interested in the deal and he kept negotiating with them until the arrival of the police,” Ibrahim said.

The prosecutor said the three convicts committed the offence at about 6 p.m. on May 3 in Ondo town.

The counsel to the accused, Mr Femi Adetoye, had urged the court to be lenient with his clients.