The upcoming actor may be a familiar face to some as he has featured in seven Nollywood films but, despite appearing in these films, the shameful transaction happened as a result of poverty, Vanguard reported.
While the exact amount paid for the child may be unclear, a number of reports quote the payment to be in the region between N300,000 and N450,000 ($1500-$2270).
According to Punch Nigeria, the two year-old boy named Samuel was sold to a trio of middle-aged women from Imo State who were also nabbed by police.
Kanayo reportedly told his wife that he was sending their son off to live with one of relatives in Port Harcourt. Unbeknownst to her, the transaction had been done, all in the name of stability and income.
“From 2014, I started to have financial difficulties, and I wanted to come to Lagos to hustle. The idea to sell my child came in March 2015 when I finally decided to travel to Lagos. It was a friend, Emmanuel, who linked me to the women. I asked him to lend some money to me and he said I should use what I had to get what I wanted,” said Kanayo.
But he kept his intentions from his wife.
“I did not tell my wife that I wanted to sell our child. I lied to her that one of the women who came was my elder sister in Port Harcourt and our son was going to stay with her. My wife did not like the idea, but I convinced her that it was for our good.”
Unfortunately for him, his wife began to ask about their son. After repeated inquiries, she began to become suspicious.
28 year-old Kelechi spoke to PUNCH:
“Samuel was two years and two months old when Kanayo said he was taking him to stay with his sister in Port Harcourt. In April, he went to Owerri for a painting work and promised that his sister would bring Samuel on a visit.
“On the day he promised, no one showed up. He also failed to come back to Lagos when he promised. I then told our landlord and one of his friends in Lagos, called Coach. Then, they agreed to trick my husband to come back home.
“When he arrived, they began to ask him questions and he later confessed that the boy was not actually with his relative. They went to report the matter at the Ikotun Police Division. That was how he was arrested.”
After a thorough investigation by police, she was reunited with her toddler son. The three women were arrested and so was the child’s father. The person named “Emmanuel” remains at large.
Via: thisisafrica.me
