Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in  Nasarawa state, have apprehended a 42-year-old man, Ayuba John, for allegedly attempting to sell his son, Solomon, for N5 million.

The NSCDC Commandant, Alhaji Mohammed Gidado Fari, said John was arrested on Tuesday behind GSM village in Lafia. The commandant revealed that the command deployed its intelligence officers when it got information that the suspect was trying to sell his child.

He said his officers pretended to be buyers and negotiated with the man and agreed to a price of N5 million. When asked how he wanted to be paid, John, demanded payment in cash.

The suspect was immediately apprehended when he brought some bags to receive the payment. Fari disclosed that the suspect had earlier sold one of his children to ritual killers in Owerri, Imo state.

John, who has five wives and 23 children, told his interrogators that he wanted to sell his son to boost his financial status.