I sold my daughter, landlord son because of burial expenses

Oriakwue

Mr Kingsley Oriakwue, a father of five, who sold his two children and his landlord’s son for N310, 000, has disclosed why he took such drastic steps.

Oriakwue, 38, who was presented to journalists on Monday by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, said that he stole the children because he wanted to raise money to give his father-in-law, a befitting burial and his pressing house rent.

According to him, he had wanted to sell two of his children and his landlord’s son, but buyer rejected one of his children, thus he had to sell only his daughter.

The suspect, who is a bricklayer, explained that after he tried all available means to raise money for the burial, all to no avail, he had to resort to selling his children and abducting his landlord’s seven-year-old son.

He recounted: “My wife is the first child of her parents and the bulk of the burial falls on her. That was why I frantically looked for means to raise money in order to assist her give her father a befitting burial and to clear my house rent. I had to sell my daughter out of frustration to meet up some challenges confronting me.”

The suspect further said: “When my father-in-law died, my wife and I needed money to burial him. When two of my children were sick, I told my wife I was taking them to hospital. I made a detour on the way and went to Patience Nnwokwo. I explained my predicament to her.
“Nnwokwo then called Adaora Obi on phone; she told Adaora that I what I wanted to do. It was Adaora, who is a pastor of a church that referred me to the orphanage home where I sold my daughter for N120, 000.”

He said he lied to the woman in charge of the orphanage home, Queen Esther, that there was nobody to care for his daughter, Chimamanda, which was why he wanted to sell her.

“I was arrested and granted bail after my wife went to report me at Meiran Police Station. She told them that our daughter was missing. I had earlier told my wife that I took her to my village to live with my sister.”

According Adaora, it was Patience Nnwokwo, who introduced Oriekwue to him, that he needed an orphanage home where his daughter would be well cared for.

Adaora: “It was in the process I directed her to my friend who later took her to Queen Esther’s Orphanage Home.  I directed them to the orphanage because the owner is a member of my church. I was given N20, 000 after the orphanage had accepted the baby. The money was given to me as transport fare.  I was later arrested at Port Harcourt, where I went to minister and brought to Lagos.”

Oriakwue was also accused of abducting his landlord’s seven-year-old son, Gabriel Yanga, and sold him to a woman residing in Aba, Abia State
The suspect, who was said to be living at Waheed Ogunseye Street, Kabowe, Meiran area of the State, was said to have lured the boy away from home by giving him N100 to buy recharge card and abducted him on October 20.
The mother of Gabriel, Mrs. Bisi Yanga said Oriakwue stole her son and moved straight to Abia State.

Bisi said: “When we contacted and begged him to return our son, he said that we should send transport money to him. We sent the money to him and later reported the matter to the police. He was arrested in Abia State.”

 
The police rescued the two children and brought them back to Lagos. The police also arrested two women, Adaora and Esther, for aiding in the selling of the children for N120, 000 and N190, 000. The children were allegedly sold by the orphanage home for N500, 000.