How Dad Attempted to Sell 11-Year-Old Son in Cross River

A 40-year-old man, Monday Okon Inyang, has been arrested by Police in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, for his alleged attempt to sell his 11-year-old son, David Monday Inyang, to an Alhaji in the Bogobiri area of the state capital for the sum of N100,000.

The Sun reports:

The sordid story began in June, 2015, when the young boy voluntarily confessed to his father that he was bewitched and possessed by an evil spirit, which had worked through him to cause his misfortune. He also begged the father to forgive him for all the trouble he had unwittingly caused him, while under the influence of the evil spirit.

An elder in the neighbourhood, Mr. Bassey Joseph, said: “It is quite unfortunate that such ugly incident occurred in our community. The boy confessed to the father he is a wizard, and he took him to various churches for prayer and deliverance. He even took him to some herbalists to exor­cise the evil spirit.”

A dangerous twist was added to the ugly situation when his father decided to sell him off because of his confession, and subsequently approached an Alhaji on June 22, 2015, to consummate the intent.

It was gathered from the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Mr Henry Fadairo, that while pretending to be interested in the proposal, Alhaji struck a “deal” with Inyang, agreeing to “buy” the boy.

With the agreement reached, he told Inyang to wait briefly for him to get to the bank and withdraw the agreed sum of N100,000. He then quickly rushed to the Police Area Commander and reported what transpired between him and Inyang.

Immediately, police detectives followed him to his office, where they arrested Inyang and took him along with his son, to the office of the Commissioner of Police.

The boy recounted to the Fadairo how he had confessed to his father that he was a wizard and appealed to him for forgiveness.

Feeling very fortunate that providence used the Alhaji to thwart his father’s attempt to sell him, the boy expressed strong desire not to be allowed to return to his father, if the police resolved to grant his father bail.

The community elder, Joseph, said neigh­bours in the community fully concurred with the boy’s desire. Their position won over the police, who then released the boy into the custody of the father’s younger brother.

In a chat, the suspect said that he was still unable to explain how he took the horrible decision to sell his son.

He said: “I don’t know what came over me. I am still dazed. My wife left me in 2005 and abandoned our four children, when I had a major problem. I have one boy and three girls. I am struggling to survive. David confessed to me that he was a wizard and the cause of my agony in life. He pleaded for forgiveness. As a concerned father, I took him to various churches and tra­ditional herbalists to cure him. Really, I don’t know what happened to me and I decided to take my son to one Alhaji in Bogobiri area, of Calabar and sold him for N100,000.00 naira to him. While I was waiting for the money, Alhaji came with policemen to arrest me in his office. I have regretted what I have done. When my son confessed, I should have forgiven him. It was wickedness that landed me into this problem. I pray that my son would forgive me for the evil thing I tried to do, by wanting to sell him.”

The Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Calabar, Mr. Ganiyu Salami, disclosed that the matter was still being investigated.