Man, 60, Arrested For Allegedly Trafficking 3 Children For Slavery

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Police operatives from the Lagos State Command have arrested a 60-year old man, Alexander Onyia, for allegedly trafficking his three children for slavery to people in the Eastern part of Nigeria. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Ikotun area of Lagos, where they reside. 

The suspect was said to have had a quarrel with his wife, Uche and he secretly took away the children namely Wisdom, 5 Prosper,7 and Deborah, 10, to an unknown place without the consent of his wife.

The wife was said to have pleaded with him to provide the children or allow her to have access to the children but he refused and told her that she will not set her eyes on the children any longer. 

 The matter was reported to the Police at Ikotun Division and he was arrested. He was asked to produce the children but he refused. Then the matter was transferred to the Gender Section of the Command for further interrogation. 

During interrogation, he refused to disclose where he took the children to and told the Police that he has given them out to some people in the Eastern part of Nigeria. 

The Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Ogba Magistrates Court for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace and endangering the children’s lives by distributing them for slavery. 

When he was arraigned, he pleaded not guilty before the Court.

The prosecutor, Supol Bisi Ogunleye, asked the Court to give a date for hearing to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence. 

The Presiding Magistrate Mrs. E. Kubeinje, granted him bail with one surety and in condition that he should produce those children before the Court. 

However, he was remanded in custody pending when he will perfect his bail conditions while the matter was adjourned till 4th April, 2022, for mention.