Boy sold for 50,000 NGN (214 GBP) in Nigeria
In 2008, I posted on this forum about my grandchild sold in Owerri Nigeria.

Here is the full story I posted in Naira Land in 2008:
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=149465.msg2480798#msg2480798

The NairaLand members showed no sympathy and it seems to be normal thing to sell a child and abnormal to complain in Nairaland. And sure, even the Nigerian Authorities care less about sold babies in their territory.

I was so disgusted about the lack of Child protection laws in Nigeria that I Renounced my Nigerian Citizenship .

Brief Highlight:
My daughter's son was sold for 490 USD by her grandmother (my ex-girlfriend) without my consent. The Boy is now about 9 years old, her grandmother is keeping my daughter hostage and all mobile phones disconnected. She has threatened to kill me if i step my foot in Nigeria.

The child sale involved a doctor and a barren woman. A contract took place and money was shared. Doctor took N40,000, the grandmother took 10,000N, I was made to believe that the child was being taken care of by a relative and when I wanted the children to unite with me abroad I was informed about the secret.

All attempt by UNICEF Geneva to rescue the child or get the Nigerian Govt to investigate the case has failed as the Govt is not willing to take action.

----------------------------------------------

Here is the Letter from Nigerian Police via Min of Justice Abuja

Subject:   RE: Boy sold for 50,000 NGN (214 GBP) in Nigeria
From:   "Division, Criminal" <Criminal.Division@usdoj.gov>
Date:   Wed, May 28, 2008 11:47 am
To:   <PRIVACY>
Priority:   Normal 

Dear Mr. <PRIVACY>:

Thank you for your recent letter to the Department of Justice. Please understand
that the Department can assume jurisdiction only when there has been a violation of
a federal criminal statute. While we appreciate your interest in obtaining federal
assistance, it appears from the information you have provided that this matter is an
issue of  International jurisdiction. According to the Constitution, federal
officials may intervene only in matters in which a violation of federal law may have
occurred.

Absent jurisdiction by this Department, some options you may have are that you: (1)
retain the services of a private attorney; (2) seek guidance from your local legal
aid organization.

----------------------------------------------


Note: No signature in the message
(a clear sign that the Govt is not taking responsibility for a sold child under it's territory).

I never knew that a child sold in Nigeria is an issue of  International jurisdiction and one that a Nigerian victim (my daughter) requires a foreign Lawyer not the Nigerian police.

The grandmother of my grandson still walks free in Owerri and actually works for Min. of Commerce as a clerk and I sent a Ghana newspaper publication of the Sold child to the Imo Govt office, Owerri Police, the Director at Min of Commerce and to the seller but yet there was no single action.

A letter was sent to every Authority in Nigeria from President to the Houses of Parliament, the Governor/Deputy, Mins of Justice, Police, UNICEF Zurich/Geneva, Embassies, Newspapers/TV in Nigeria/Ghana etc. I also provided the name of the Doctor/hospital where the baby was sold and the sellers address/mobile number.

The only positive actions came from UNICEF Zurich/Geneva and Ghana TV/newspapers. UNICEF Nigeria could not proceed with the case as NTV refused to air the story as requested by UNICEF Director in Abuja.

Child trafficking is going on in Nigeria at an alarming rate. My grandson is now about 9 years old and yet he is denied access to his rightful family by greedy criminals that roam Nigeria. I am ashamed I ever originated from that country and my current child in Europe will never set foot in that country.

Note: The seller (my ex-girlfriend) has blocked access to my daughter's phone since 2008 and I do not know if my daughter is alive or dead. The last message I received in mid 2009 was that the seller had liver problem and in hospital. She called me to help her as she was dying and I said I will send her money in exchange for the release of my daughter and information to locate my sold grandchild.  She became furious and that was the last I heard from her. I don't know if she is alive or dead and if she dies, the story ends in her grave.

That is the Nigeria you all come home. Not my kind of country, I am sorry to say. Europe has treated me with respect and given to my family what Nigeria refused to give to me in my 32 years there and still refusing to even accept to find a trafficked child in their territory. It won't happen to me in Europe, notwithstanding my colour.

Regarding the story on this thread, those who confronted the trafficker in the plane were bold, brave and deserve a pat on the back. Bravo !!!

A Letter sent by UNICEF Abuja to a top Newspaper in Nigeria (below)

---------------------------
> Dear <privacy>,
> I forwarding to you one of the most pathetic stories I have ever heard.
> And
> it is right here in Nigeria. The gentleman here copied has tried to get
> media attention in Nigeria and failed so he went to Ghana. Ghana has
> flagged it off. I am sure your paper would be interested in the story
> being
> as it were child rights focussed. I have also asked NAPTIP  to look into
> it. Their Director of Investigations is already aware. His name is
> <privacy>You could get more info from the gentleman
> (grandfather of the baby sold) who is copied here.
>
> <privacy>,
> Communication Specialist
> Media & External Relations
> UNICEF Nigeria Country Office
> United Nations House
> Central Area District, Diplomatic Zone
> P.M.B. 2851, Garki, Abuja
> Tel Office: + 234 (0) 9 - 461 6403
> Mobile: + 234 (0) 803 525 0288
> E- mail   <privacy>
> Web:   www.unicef.org

-------------------------------------------
The newspaper firm did not acknowledge, investigate or publish the story

The only Letter received from Nigerian Authority (below)


Subject:   RE: Boy sold for 50,000 NGN (214 GBP) in Nigeria
From:   "Division, Criminal" <Criminal.Division@usdoj.gov>
Date:   Wed, May 28, 2008 11:47 am
To:   <PRIVACY>
Priority:   Normal 


Dear Mr. <PRIVACY>:

Thank you for your recent letter to the Department of Justice. Please understand
that the Department can assume jurisdiction only when there has been a violation of
a federal criminal statute. While we appreciate your interest in obtaining federal
assistance, it appears from the information you have provided that this matter is an
issue of  International jurisdiction. According to the Constitution, federal
officials may intervene only in matters in which a violation of federal law may have
occurred.

Absent jurisdiction by this Department, some options you may have are that you: (1)
retain the services of a private attorney; (2) seek guidance from your local legal
aid organization.

----------------------------------------------
Note: No signature in the message
(a clear sign that the Govt is not taking responsiblility for a sold child under it's territory).

I never knew that a child sold in Nigeria is an issue of  International jurisdiction and one that a Nigerian victim (my daughter) requires a foreign Lawyer not the Nigerian police.

More stories at www.thechildalert.com (Ghana Newspaper)

A disguised photos of the victim (my daughter attached).

Any help by the public will be appreciated. If you live in Owerri Capital, Imo State you'd probably will know her or may have seen her. Please, PM me or call the police to rescue her. She is a little bit depressed due to these events.

Under UN laws, we cannot reveal full identity of the victims for the protection of mother and child's privacy and protection as victims of a trafficking crime.

However, we are allowed by UNICEF Geneva/Zurich to use every media outlet including the Internet to bring the matter to the attention of the public, so please help in any little way to put the mesaage across in other forums and social networks.

God Bless you all.

Ghana TV and Ghana newspapers carried the News all days/weeks and yet none of the Nigerian media we contacted accpeted to air it even when the case was referred to them by UNICEF branch in Abuja.

See Ghana TV photos attached

My daughter's son was sold for 490 USD by her grandmother (my ex-girlfriend) without my consent. The Boy is now about 7 years old, her grandmother is keeping my daughter hostage and all mobile phones disconnected. She has threatended to kill me if i step my foot in Nigeria.

The child sale involved a doctor and a barren woman. A contract took place and money was shared. Doctor took N40,000, the grandmother took 10,000N, I was made to believe that the child was being taken care of by a relative and when I wanted the children to unite with me abroad I was informed about the secret.

All attempt by UNICEF Geneva to rescue the child or get the Nigerian Govt to investigate the case has failed as the Govt is not willing to take action.

I have written to every officer in the Govt (president, ministers, ambassadors etc) and received only one reply from the police in Abuja saying it is not under their Jurisdiction. Case closed.

Well, case is not closed, it start by my renunciation and the rest is coming.

Is that my kind of Nigeria or whose, well not mine though,

Nigerian population is such that the Govt and UN has no idea of the population figures so, one person down makes no difference.

Go to one of the southern states and see how many children are on the street, accused by their families of withcraft. The parent are proud of their actions and what is the government doing to protect those children and prosecute those parents.

Like 419, Nigeria is now the capital for Child sales and women trafficking. Talk to the Nigerian Authority and they say, it's not their jurisdiction. They told me recently. So whose is it. UN?

The population is so high that no one counts, Even the Nigerian Embassies abroad don't have a count on the population of Nigerians in their respective countires and there are no support for them.

To prove Nigerians abroad don't count, they are disenfranchised in elections. They simply have no say in those elected to govern their country.

So who am I in Nigeria, of course I'm nobody. Let's be real. Well, I now owe allegiance to a country that counts me and recognises me as a citizen with my rights and children's future fully protected. Is that a problem than those faced by millions of children, aged, poor, homeless, sick, jobless people in Nigeria.

It's unfortunate that one has to let go, but I'd rather not be a dual citizen knowing that the original country will not defend me or my children when we are in need at home and abroad. That is the point.

I want to see those kids in the south (as young as 1year old) being accused by their families of witchcraft and abandoned in the market square as shown by the foreign media to receive proper protection by the Nigerian Government and parents prosecuted.

I want to see the govt take immediate action to stop child sales and women trafficking. For God's sake we are in the 21st century.

As a victim of Nigerian child sales, don't let me spill it all here as most of you will weep for Nigeria.

While Nigeria continue to broil itself in endless corruption, the rest of the world worry about Global economy, Global warming and the DOOMS DAY Dec 2012

(see YouTube: http://www.google.com/search?q=2012&btnGNS=Search+youtube.com&oi=navquery_searchbox&sa=X&as_sitesearch=youtube.com&hl=en ) .

Brethens! Get ready for a shake up come 2012 and turn to Jesus Christ NOW.

Is Obama a sign from God? food for thought.

Renouncing your Nigerian citizenship is like divorcing your ugly wife.

That's the way I feel since I did exactly that, Now, I feel a sight of relief, It still hurts adding Nigerian educational qualifications to your CV, employers in the West think it's 419.