The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has apprehended Gabriel Okon Ekpiri, a resident of Ekit Itam Akpan Obong community in the Itu Local Government Area of the state, for the alleged sale of his nine-year-old son for N400,000.
According to a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, the suspect was apprehended by the Quick Intervention Squad. During the interrogation, Gabriel Okon Ekpiri purportedly confessed to the crime, attributing it to the influence of the devil and the economic hardship prevalent in the country.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Olatoye Durusinmi, has strongly condemned the act, considering it barbaric and completely unacceptable. He emphasized that the suspect’s confession would not absolve him of the grave offense.
In a related development, the Commissioner of Police decorated two Deputy Commissioners of Police, namely DCP Baba Lawan Audu, Area Commander of the Eket Area Command, and DCP Lawal Isa Mani from the Department of Operations. The officers expressed their gratitude to the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police for their promotions, pledging their continued hard work and dedication to the Command.