A farmer returning from his farm has reportedly foiled an alleged attempt by three workers to traffic their employer’s two-year-old child in Ogberia Ochoro community, Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The suspects were arrested after the farmer became suspicious of their movement with the toddler and raised an alarm, according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
NAPTIP’s Head of Operations in the Cross River Command, Oba Joseph, said the agency received a report about the incident on Monday and immediately commenced investigations.
The three suspects reportedly told investigators that they had worked for their employer for about three months without receiving their wages.
According to the suspects, they allegedly decided to take the child as a form of revenge and to recover the money they claimed they were owed.
However, the employer reportedly disputed the allegation, telling NAPTIP that the workers had been paid, with only their August salary outstanding because the month was yet to end.
The alleged attempt was uncovered when the farmer, while returning from his farm, noticed the suspects moving with the child in a suspicious manner.
The farmer reportedly questioned them, prompting one of the suspects to allegedly claim that the two-year-old was his child.
Unsatisfied with the explanation, the farmer raised an alarm, leading to the suspects’ arrest. By the time they were apprehended, they had reportedly crossed about four communities with the toddler.
NAPTIP said the incident highlights the importance of community vigilance in detecting suspicious movements and protecting children from trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
The agency said investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would be prosecuted upon completion of the investigation.
Meanwhile, NAPTIP is working to establish the actual ages of the three suspects following discrepancies between the ages recorded by the community and those they gave investigators.
While the community reportedly documented their ages as 18, 19 and 27, the suspects told NAPTIP that they were 16, 17 and 25 respectively.
The agency has contacted their parents to help verify their ages.
Joseph said the age verification would not affect the investigation into the alleged attempt to traffic the two-year-old child, adding that the appropriate legal process would be followed based on the outcome of the investigation.