The police in Benin, Edo State, have arrested a 26-year-old bricklayer, Kenneth Ofoke, for allegedly selling his six-week-old twin babies for N500,000.
Kenneth who hails from Ebonyi State, sold the infants in Port Harcourt but was arrested in Edo State.
He was among suspects paraded by the Edo state Police Commissioner, Mohammed DanMallam, for alleged involvement in various crimes.
It was gathered that the suspect had sold four babies before he was arrested.
He allegedly sold his twin for N500,000, and the other two for N30,000 and N50,000 respectively.
In an interview with journalists, Kenneth claimed the twin he sold were his children and that the incident happened in August last year.
He said he sold the twin “due to financial constraints and ill-health of the children and their mother.”
He added that they unanimously decided to take the babies to where they would be catered for.
“My wife gave birth to twin, she and the twin fell ill, so I called my aunt who said I should bring them to Port Harcourt to help me out so that I can take care of the woman.
“When we get to Port Harcourt, my aunt asked us whether we were really husband and wife and whether the twin were really our children and we said yes. She then told us that the children needed better treatment so as to save their lives and that of the mother.
“I told her to save the children so that I can go and take care of my wife. I also told her that we will be coming to see them from time to time.
“She then told us that the children would be taken to an orphanage homes and called the people who gave me N500,000 to take care of my wife in exchange for the baby,” he said.
When asked whether he married the woman, he said “the woman brought the children to me, saying I am the father of the babies and that I impregnated her when I was friending her.”
The Edo CP, DanMallam, said the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.
