2women jailed for trafficking &making children beg with fake wounds

In sentencing them, Aje-Afunwa said there was the need for the convicts to learn some useful lessons in prison and that since they were still young, they should engage in something more productive rather than using kids to beg on the street.

According to her, they have to learn  the hard way in prison not to engage in something bad in the society, believing that the prison would transform their lives for the better.

The two women were arrested at Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island recently while begging with two kids, aged six and nine years. The stomach and legs of the kids were plastered with ointment and wool to give the impression that they were suffering from serious burns to attract public sympathy.
An Environmentalist, Betty Albert, was driving by and saw the gory sight of the nine-year old boy lying on the ground and decided to assist the victim.

She parked her car and came out and told Chioma that she should be allowed to take the boy to the hospital.
On hearing this, Chioma asked the boy to run away which he did, but unfortunately, he was caught by a policeman who was on duty nearby.
The Environmentalist asked the policeman to chase after the boy and he was caught and brought back to the scene.
“I asked the boy whether something was wrong with him and he said he was okay. I asked him whether I could remove the plasters and wool on his stomach and he said yes. So I removed them and found out that the boy was alright.
“The boy told me that his younger brother was at Eko Hotel with  another woman also begging for alms and that they should help him to get the boy. The boy was brought with the other woman,” Betty explained.
The boy’s leg was also plastered with ointment and wool to deceive people that he had been badly burnt and needed help.

Investigation revealed that Chioma Eze, from Anambra State, had gone to Awka and told the children’s parents that she wanted to assist them send the children to school in Lagos and she was allowed to take them. But unknown to the parents, their children were brought to beg for alms in Lagos.

Betty had been following the case for almost two weeks to ensure justice was done.
The women were arrested by police from Bar Beach Police Station, while the case was later transferred to Adeniji Adele Police Station.