NAPTIP Arrests Three Workers for Allegedly Trying to Traffic Employer's Two-Year-Old Child in Cross River

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested three workers in Cross River State for allegedly attempting to traffic their employer's two-year-old child for sale. The incident occurred in the Ogberia Ochoro community, Ogoja Local Government Area, and was confirmed by NAPTIP officials on Thursday, August 27, 2026.

According to Mr Oba Joseph, Head of Operations of the NAPTIP Cross River Command, the agency received an urgent distress call on Monday regarding the alleged abduction. The suspects, who worked as farmhands, reportedly claimed they decided to traffic the child as revenge and to recover unpaid wages. They alleged that their employer had failed to pay their salaries for about three months. However, the employer disputed this claim, insisting that the workers had been paid consistently, except for August, which had not yet ended at the time of the incident.

The plot was foiled by an alert local farmer who noticed the trio moving suspiciously with the toddler. When questioned, one of the suspects claimed the child was his own. Unconvinced by the explanation, the farmer raised an alarm. Community members pursued and apprehended the suspects after they had traversed nearly four communities in an attempt to escape with the child.

NAPTIP is currently working to establish the actual ages of the suspects due to conflicting accounts. While the community documented the suspects as being 18, 19, and 27 years old, the suspects told investigators they are 16, 17, and 25. The agency has reached out to their parents to verify their birth records. Joseph noted that if two of the suspects are confirmed to be minors, they will be treated as children in conflict with the law, which could affect the court's handling of the case. Regardless of their ages, the attempted trafficking of the two-year-old child remains established, and the agency will prosecute the suspects after concluding its investigation.

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