Divorcee jailed for attempting to sell twins

A Katsina Senior Magistrate’s court has sentenced a 30-yearold mother to 10 months imprisonment for negotiating to sell her 35 days old female twins.

Salima Lawal of Marabar Kankara in Malumfashi LGA in Katsina was earlier apprehended by the police for attempting to sell the twins to one Babangida who tipped the police leading to her arrest.

During her arraignment, Salima pleaded guilty to the one count charge of buying and selling of a minor child contrary to Section 278 of penal code law.

In his ruling, the Senior Chief Magistrate, Nurrudeen El Ladan, said the court had considered the accused’s admittance and remorsefulness as well as the health status of the twins before arriving at the judgement.

He said, the accused was sentenced to 10 months in prison or pay a fine of N10,000.

It could be recalled that Salima, in a chat with newsmen during her parade by the police, confessed to the act but failed to give any reason behind it.

However, a police source who confided in our reporter said that during investigation, Salima was found to have been separated and divorced from her husband with whom she had two other sons.

She told a team on investigation that her husband, one Yusuf Abdullahi, a commercial motorcycle rider had abandoned her which forced her to act the way she did, the source said.

“But when questioned, Abdullahi denied abandoning her, saying that they were divorced two years ago,” the source added.