Father From Hell: Police nab man for selling 14-month-old son

The Abia State Police Command has arrested a palm fruit harvester, George Maduabuchi, for conniving with his friend to sell his 14-month-old son to a herbalist for N300,000.

Maduabuchi who is from Owerrinta autonomous community in the Isiala-Ngwa South local government area of the state, was nabbed when his wife, Eberechi, alerted the police of her husband's intentions.

The state Police Commissioner, Habila Joshak while parading the suspect at the state command, said the father of four connived with one Obinna Erondu, who is now at large, to perpetrate the act.

"Luck ran out on Maduabuchi when the wife alerted the police on his questionable role when the baby fell ill and he took him out and did not return with him.”

But the suspect said he did not mean to sell his son but only took him to the herbalist when he fell ill.

He said:

"The herbalist gave me money and told me that he could not heal the baby. I therefore left the baby in the herbalist’s home."

However, his wife, Eberechi, said she became suspicious when her husband took away the sick child to the herbalist, only to come back without the child but with bundles of money.

She said:

"When I demanded explanations on the whereabouts of our son, he could not offer any convincing answer."

Eberechi reportedly raised the alarm and neighbours help to arrest Maduabuchi who was about escaping into the bush, and handed him over to the police.

He later led the security operatives to the herbalist's home where the child was recovered.