Journalist urges police chief to probe attempted trafficking of child

Stanley Ihedigbo

An Ibadan-based media practitioner, Mr Nurudeen Alimi, urged the Oyo State Commissioner of Police (CP), Joe Nwachukwu Enwowu, to reopen investigation into the alleged trafficking his son.

Alimi, who petitioned the CP, explained that sometimes in October, 2017, he got a hint that his estranged wife, Kehinde, as they were still legally married at that time, visited the Nigerian Immigration Service, Oyo State Command alongside his son to procure an international passport with number A08706119 for him, using another surname with the intent to take him out of the country without his consent.

 Alimi further said: "I was reliably informed by the officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service after thorough investigation into the matter that Kehinde had surreptitiously obtained a new birth certificate with different surname for my son and presented same for the process of procuring the said passport. She connived with one Adaramoye to change my son's surname on the data page of the passport. They actually changed the name to bear Adaramoye as surname against his original surname, Alimi. Kehinde presented Adaramoye as the father of my son as his name appeared on the application form and a consent letter as required by law in the process of applying for passport for minors was written by Adaramoye, claiming to be the father of my son, who was just four years old at that time.”

The journalist said that he was confused and baffled by this callous act of his ex-wife, who at that time, took their son from his lawful custody with the sole aim of trafficking him to a particular destination known to her and Adaramoye.

He further stated that the reason he was seeking approval for the reopening of the matter was that the terms with which the case which is under investigation at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, was suspended has been disregarded by Kehinde and this simply suggested that she and Adaramoye still had the intention of taking his son. He mentioned that the young boy was still in the custody of Kehinde, who is presently living with another man and already had a child for him.

Alimi, however, added: "It is therefore, on this note, that I urge you to use your good office to direct the reopening of investigation into the above complaints and bring both Kehinde and Adaramoye to book in the interest of justice and to further prevent the trafficking of my son, to an unknown destination."