Adamawa: Mother arrested for allegedly selling child N120,000 to nurse

A man, Ibrahim Suleiman, requesting to name a three-month-old child he had with a lady, Justina Yakubu, has filed a complaint to the police after the boy went missing.

Suleiman said he fell in love with Yakubu after she promised to marry him, adding that she later became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy.

He said, “After she was delivered of the child, I told her that I wanted to name my child as provided by Islamic injunction and also reminded her about our proposed marriage, but she responded that the baby was no more (died).”

PUNCH Metro learnt that Suleiman, who suspected foul play, reported the matter to the police.

The suspect was subsequently arrested along with a female nurse, Esther Romanus.

Yakubu was alleged to have sold the child, Jamilu Suleiman, to Romanus at the sum of N120,000 and collected N20,000, leaving an outstanding balance of N100,000.

Both Yakubu and Romanus were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court I, Yola, Adamawa State.

But while the girlfriend pleaded guilty to selling the child to the nurse, the latter denied committing the offence.

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Sawe Nicholas, said, “It was the father of the child, Ibrahim Suleiman, of Mararaban Mubi, who reported the matter to the police on February 2, 2022.

“Suleiman informed the police that his fiancée, 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 Sawe, investigation by the police led to the discovery of the said missing child and another five-year-old boy, Vincent Wilberforce.

He told the court in a first information report that the kids were found in the custody of Esther Romanus of Jambutu, Yola North Local Government Area, who conspired with their mothers to sell them.

Counsel for Romanus, A. Nfoniso, raised objection to the argument by the prosecution to deny her client bail on grounds that the offence was capital in nature.

After the parties made their submissions, the prosecution requested an adjournment of the case to enable the police to complete their investigations.

Magistrate Abdullahi Digil adjourned the case till February 25, 2022, for ruling on the bail application and the jurisdiction of the court.