Farmer Raises Alarm After Workers Seen With Employer’s Toddler in Cross River
The toddler was already several communities away from home when a farmer returning from his farm noticed something that did not look right.
Three workers were moving with a two-year-old child, and their explanation for having the toddler with them reportedly failed to convince him.
The farmer questioned the group and, according to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, one of the workers claimed that the child belonged to him.
That answer raised more suspicion.
The farmer reportedly raised an alarm, eventually leading to the arrest of the three workers.
By the time they were stopped, they had reportedly crossed about four communities with the child.
The incident happened in Ogberia Ochoro community, Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State.
NAPTIP later became involved after receiving a report about the incident on Monday. The agency’s Cross River Command commenced an investigation into what it described as an alleged attempt to traffic the child for sale.
The three suspects reportedly told investigators that they had been working for the child’s employer for approximately three months without receiving their wages.
According to their account, the decision to take the toddler was connected to the unpaid money, with the workers claiming they intended to use the child as a form of revenge while also recovering what they believed they were owed.
But the employer gave investigators a different version.
The employer reportedly denied owing the workers all of their salaries, explaining that they had been paid and that only the August wage remained outstanding because the month was still ongoing.
That left investigators with two conflicting accounts of what happened before the child was taken from the area.
Oba Joseph, Head of Operations of the NAPTIP Cross River Command, said the investigation was continuing.
Another issue has also emerged during the case — the ages of the three suspects.
Records from the community reportedly put their ages at 18, 19 and 27.
However, when questioned by NAPTIP, they gave different ages, saying they were 16, 17 and 25 respectively.
Because the difference could affect how the case is handled, NAPTIP is contacting their parents to establish their actual ages.
For now, investigators are working to determine exactly what happened, why the toddler was taken, and whether the explanation given by the suspects about unpaid wages accurately reflects their motive.
NAPTIP said the investigation would be completed before the suspects are prosecuted.
Joseph also made it clear that the age verification would not erase the seriousness of the incident. The alleged attempt to move a two-year-old child away from the community remains under investigation, with the appropriate legal process expected to follow once the facts have been established.
The case has meanwhile highlighted how an alert community member can play a crucial role when the movement of a vulnerable child appears suspicious.
In this instance, the farmer’s decision to question the group and raise an alarm brought the child’s journey to an end before the toddler could be taken any farther.
(Source: Guardian Newspapers)
