Wage Dispute Turns Trafficking Case As NAPTIP Rescues Two-Year-Old In Cross River
By ARIT OTONG UBOK
A farmer has helped foil an alleged attempt by three workers to traffic their employer’s two-year-old child in Ogoja, Cross River State.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said the suspects allegedly took the toddler from Ogberia Ochoro community and attempted to move him to another location.
Mr. Oba Joseph, Head of Operations of the NAPTIP Cross River Command, disclosed the development in Calabar on Thursday.
He said the agency received information about the incident on Monday and moved to investigate the allegation.
The suspects reportedly told NAPTIP that they had worked for their employer for about three months without receiving their wages. They allegedly claimed that taking the child was intended as revenge and a means of recovering the money they believed they were owed.
The employer, however, rejected the allegation. He reportedly maintained that he had paid the workers and that only their August wages were outstanding, with the month yet to end.
Meanwhile, the alleged trafficking attempt was interrupted when a farmer returning from the farm noticed the suspects carrying the child.
After questioning them, the farmer became suspicious when one of the suspects allegedly claimed that the toddler was his child. He raised an alarm, leading to their arrest after they had reportedly crossed about four communities.
NAPTIP has begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Joseph said the agency would prosecute the suspects once the investigation is completed.
Their ages have also emerged as a major issue in the case. Community records identify them as 18, 19 and 27. However, they told investigators that they were 16, 17 and 25.
NAPTIP has therefore sought the assistance of their parents to establish their actual ages.
Joseph said the outcome could determine how the suspects are treated under the law. If some are confirmed to be minors, they could be classified as children in conflict with the law, potentially changing the legal process and court jurisdiction.
Nevertheless, the NAPTIP official said the alleged attempted trafficking of the toddler remained established from the agency’s perspective.
Further investigation will determine the circumstances of the alleged offence, the suspects’ individual roles and the appropriate legal action.
