Awurum was arraigned on a two count charge bordering on human trafficking.
Special Anti-Robbery Squad detectives led by Inspector Ayebo Samuel arrested Awurum following a complaint by Awurum’s girlfriend, Kelechi, that Awurum sold their 2- year- old son Chukwunoyerem to a woman in the guise of giving the baby up for care.
The police arraigned Awurum and one Nkechi Obi the woman who bought the boy before Mrs. Ipaye Nwachukwu of the Ikeja Magistrate on June 29th 2015.
The count read, “That you Kanayo Awurum and Nkechi Obi and others now at large sometimes in February 2015 at about 1.30pm between Orlu Imo state and Lagos State within the Lagos Magisterial District,did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: human trafficking and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 4O9 of the criminal law of Lagos State Nigeria 2011”.
Count 2 read “That you Kanayo Awurum and Nkechi Obi and others at large on thesame date,time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did sell one Chukwunoyerem Samuel Awurum age two years old for the sum of Three thousand naira (N300,000) and therefore committed an offence punishable under section 274(1) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
The accused pleaded not guilty.
The case was adjourned to August 31th 2015.
The mother of the boy is also pregnant with a second child for Awurun. She said in an earlier interview with our correspondent that she wants justice to be served.
“I don’t care if he goes to jail. He deserves it. What he did was bad. Though I am pregnant with his second child, I don’t want anything to do with him again. He should face justice. I know it will not be easy for me to train the children but I will go and learn how to bake cake so that I can become a caterer. I don’t know if I can trust any man again with what has happened but I will rely on my God to see me through. I thank the police for helping me rescue my son. Though I do not have money, I will never sell my son no matter how desperate I need money. What his father did is unthinkable.”
Awurum who claimed to be a Nollywood actor said he sold his son because he had pressing financial problems.
“I have acted in about nine movies alongside popular actors like Chiwelata Agwu, Osofia and others. Movies I have played roles include; Feast of Vengeance, Destiny Child, Miracle, Rough Chase among others. I met my girlfriend kelechi while we were in secondary school in our village in Ikeduru Imo State.
“I made up my mind to sell the boy for N500,000 because I had pressing financial challenges. My girlfriend is pregnant with a second child and she wanted me to take her along to my house and I do not have the money to cater for her and the children. I was in a dilemma and I did not know what to do.
“I told Kelechi that my sister will look after our son but it was a lie. My friend Emmanuel brought three women to the house and they paid me N350,000 for the boy . I signed a document and gave him up. I lied to my girlfriend that my sister was one of the women and will take good care of the boy in her house in Port Harcourt. Unknown to me , Emmanuel my friend who gave me the idea to sell my son had collected N650,000 from the woman. I used the money I got to rent a self contain apartment in Lagos and relocated my pregnant girlfriend to Lagos”.
Kelechi however said she got wind of Awurum’s sinister motive after all efforts to get her son proved abortive.
Source: National mirror
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