File photo
The man who was identified as Mallam Yusuf Bala, shocked people when he abandoned his son for a bag of rice.
The Punch reports that the incident occurred on Sunday at Singer Market, Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to an eyewitness account, Bala approached the rice dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Bagudu, to buy a bag of rice, which he carried home but left his son, with a promise to rush home to bring the money for the foodstuff.
This, he said, was because the money on him was not enough to pay for the bag of rice, selling for N14,000 per 50kg bag.
However, six hours after, the said man failed to show up as promised to settle the rice dealer and collect his son.
According to the source, the rice dealer became suspicious, following the Bala’s prolonged absence, a situation that prompted the trader to interrogate the toddler he left behind.
On interrogation, the five-year-old boy innocently led the rice dealer to their home, located at the abattoir area of Koki in Dala Local Government Area of the state.
Despite expressing embarrassment when the rice dealer arrived his home, alongside his child, Bala openly confessed that he was financially handicapped, hence his unbecoming conduct by abandoning his son as a last resort.
Shortly after listening to Bala’s explanation, the rice dealer donated the bag of rice to him and handed over the boy to his father.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kano State Police Command, DSP Musa Magaji Majia, when contacted, said the incident had not been reported to him, promising to brief the press as soon as the aggrieved party reported the incident.
But as of the time of filing this report, Majia had not called our correspondent.