A 3-year-old boy identified as Friday Okonkwo, who was sold for N410,000 by his 24-year-old mother, Blessing Okonkwo, has been rescued by the Adamawa State Police Command.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, who disclosed this to newsmen, said one Hauwa Lawan of Wubirgo Askira, UBA, Borno, some time ago visited the police to report that her son was stolen.

Nguroje said upon further investigation, it was revealed that Blessing Okonkwo, originally reported as the sister of the abducted child, is, in fact, the biological mother of the three-year-old boy, Friday Okonkwo. He disclosed that the said Hauwa Lawan, who initially reported and claimed to be the mother, is actually the grandmother.

Blessing Okonkwo, aged 24 and residing in Kabang Ward, Mubi South, became pregnant with the child in 2019 after a relationship with an individual named Aboi from Anambra State. Blessing Okonkwo misled her parents by claiming to enrol the child in school in Mubi. Instead, she gave out the child to Ifunanya for adoption and requested N410,000 as support for trade since she couldn’t take care of the child to whom she gave birth out of wedlock.”

Nguroje added that the investigation also led to the recovery of the abducted child from Efunaya Nabufe who had taken the victim to her sister in Onitsha, Enugu State.

He stated that the Commissioner of Police, Adamawa State Command, CP Dankombo Morris, has directed the Gender and Family Support Unit to continue with the investigation and ensure the child is safely reunited with his family. The Commissioner has also urged the public to remain vigilant about the whereabouts of their children and wards to prevent similar incidents.