Two youngsters allegedly sold into bondage for N18,000 apiece reunited with their families following four-month ordeal

In a shocking case of child exploitation, an Akure Magistrate's Court in Ondo State has been told that two minors were allegedly sold for N18,000 each and forced to peddle goods on the streets of Benin City, Edo State, after being lured away from a riverbank in November 2025. The victims, who were 14 and 15 years old at the time, were deceived by the defendants with false claims that their father wanted to see them in Ogbese.

n

The two men, John Ushie, 32, and Innocent Ushie, 50, along with a woman, Evelyn Innocent, 38, were arraigned on charges of child trafficking, abduction, and slave trading, with the police prosecutor, Augustine Omheneimhen, outlining the offences that occurred at 1, Chama Street, Ute, Ondo State, around 9 a.m.

n

According to the prosecutor, the victims were first taken to Utesi, where they spent a night, before being transported to Benin City, Edo State, where they were sold to the wife of one of the defendants' brothers for N18,000 each. The boys were then given trays to hawk goods on the streets, spending about four months in captivity and being separated for two months.

n

The victims' ordeal took a further turn when they were resold to another person for N76,000, before the defendants contacted their parents and collected N10,000, after which the police intervened and reunited the boys with their families. The defendants' actions allegedly contravene Section 369 of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State and are punishable under Sections 369(2)(6)(7) and 362.

n

All three defendants, John Ushie, Innocent Ushie, and Evelyn Innocent, pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecutor, Omheneimhen, to urge the court to remand them in separate correctional facilities pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP.

n

The prosecutor's request was based on statements from the victims and the first defendant, which were presented to the court as grounds for remand. Magistrate O. Lebi subsequently ordered the remand of the defendants in the correctional centre in Ondo City.

n

The case has been adjourned to August 4, 2026, with Magistrate Lebi also directing that the matter be transferred to the Family Magistrate Court in Akure, marking the next stage in the proceedings against the three defendants.