28-year-old, Justina Yakubu, has been arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court I in Yola, Adamawa State for allegedly selling her three-month-old child for N120,000.
The father of the baby, Suleiman Ibrahim, reportedly filed a complaint to the police after he discovered the child had gone missing.
Justina was said to have told Suleiman that the baby had died after he wanted to name his child as provided by Islamic injunction and also reminded her about their proposed marriage.
According to The PUNCH, Suleiman, who sensed something fishy about his estranged girlfriend’s account, reported the incidence to the police. Justina was arrested alongside one female nurse, Esther Romanus, who allegedly bought the child for the sum of N120, 000.
Justina had collected the sum of N20, 000, leaving an outstanding balance settlement of N100, 000 as alleged by the child’s father.
Both Justina and Esther have been arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court I in Yola, Adamawa State. But while Justina pleaded guilty to selling the child to Esther, the latter, however, denied committing the alleged offence.
Sergeant Sawe Nicholas, police prosecutor, had told the court during the arraignment of the two ladies that “it was the father of the child, Suleiman, of Mararaban Mubi, who reported the matter to the police on the 2nd February, 2022.”
He said, “Suleiman informed the police that his fiancee of the same address disappeared with their three-month-old, son, Jamilu, to an unknown destination, and later told him that the child had passed away.”
According to Sergeant Sawe, investigation by the police led to the discovery of the said missing child and another five-year-old boy named Vincent Wilberforce.
He told the court in the First Information Report that the kids were found in the custody of Esther Romanus of Jambutu, Yola North Local Government Area, who conspired with the mother to sell them out.
After the parties made their submissions, and prosecution requested adjournment of the case to enable the police complete their investigations, magistrate Abdullahi Digil, thereafter, adjourned the case to 25th February 2022 for ruling on the bail application and the jurisdiction of the court.