The operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have arrested a 49-year-old man for allegedly attempting to sell his five-year-old daughter for N1.5 million in the state.

Bauchi State Commissioner of Police Auwal Muhammad disclosed this at a press conference in Bauchi on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

Muhammad said the man, who claimed to be a staff of Warji Local Government Council, was arrested for alleged child trafficking.

According to the police commissioner, the girl’s father went to take her from her mother, who had separated from him, on the pretext of taking her to his sister in Bauchi.

Muhammad disclosed that the man committed the offence on May 26, but unknown to him, the supposed buyer of the child was a police detective.

“The defendant was arrested in a hotel in Bauchi after he bargained for N1.5 million to give up his biological daughter,” the CP said.

Muhammad added that the girl’s father also provided the person who linked him to a supposed buyer with N40,000.

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He stated that the suspect would be charged to court upon the completion of an investigation into the offence.

Muhammad further disclosed that the command arrested a suspected member of a gang who murdered six National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members during the post-presidential election violence in Giade Local Government Area of Bauchi State in 2011.

The police commissioner gave the names of the deceased corps members as Nkwazema Anslem from Imo State, Adewumi Paul (Ekiti), Okpokiri Obinna (Abia), Teidi Tosin (Kogi), Adewei Elliot (Bayelsa), and Ukeoma Chibuzor (Imo).

He said the suspect and his gang members, after the announcement of the presidential election results, armed with dangerous weapons, also stormed the Giade Divisional Police Headquarters and attacked a policewoman, Rifkatu Bappa.

He noted that the police officer was injured and was evacuated to Federal Medical Centre in Azare where she was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

Muhammad added: “The gang also attacked and broke into shops of traders and carted away valuables, further causing a breakdown of law and order.

“After a manhunt for a decade, the suspect has been arrested and investigation is ongoing.”

Muhammad stated that the suspect would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the investigation.

The Star