The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has accused three workers in Ogoja, Cross River State, of attempting to traffic their employer’s two-year-old child for sale.

The Head of Operations, NAPTIP Cross River Command, Mr Oba Joseph, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Calabar.

Joseph said the agency received a report on Monday that three suspects had allegedly taken the toddler from Ogberia Ochoro Community and attempted to move him to another location for sale.

According to him, the suspects claimed they had worked for their employer for about three months without receiving their wages.

“They claimed they decided to traffic the child as revenge and to recover the money they said they were owed,” he said.

Joseph, however, said the employer disputed the allegation, insisting that he had paid the workers, except for their August wages, which were not yet due at the time.

He said the suspects were apprehended after a farmer returning from the farm noticed them moving suspiciously with the child.

“The farmer questioned them, after which one of the suspects allegedly claimed that the two-year-old child was his own.

“The farmer, who was not satisfied with their explanation, raised an alarm, leading to the suspects’ arrest after they had crossed about four communities,” he narrated.

Joseph said investigations were ongoing and that the agency would prosecute the suspects after concluding its investigation.

He said a major issue before the agency was the disparity in the suspects’ ages, as the community documented them as 18, 19 and 27 years old.

The suspects, however, told NAPTIP that they were 16, 17 and 25 years old, prompting the agency to seek the assistance of their parents to establish their actual ages.

Joseph said if their ages were confirmed as stated, those below 18 could be treated as children in conflict with the law, which could affect the court with jurisdiction over the case and the manner of prosecution.

He stressed, however, that regardless of their ages, the alleged attempt to traffic the two-year-old child remained a serious matter, adding that the investigation would determine the appropriate legal process for prosecuting the suspects. (Daily Trust)