By Brave Dickson
Four females are now standing trial for allegedly conspiring, stealing and selling a 4-yr-old boy belonging to Mr and Mrs Emmanuel Victor in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State which, according to the law, is punishable under sections: 27 and 30 of the Child Rights Act Law Cap. 50 (LFN, 2003).
The defendants who are: Favour Ifeoma Godwin ‘F’ 25yr, Kodirichi Nwankwo ‘F’ 33yr and Ada Ogbonna Ebere ‘F’ 37yr as well as others at large are accused of stealing and selling the toddler sometime around July 2018 at Umudogo Village in Etche LGA.
Favour Godwin and Kodirichi Nwankwo were said to have sold the 4-yr-old boy to Ada Ogbonna Ebere at the cost of N350,000 after stealing their victim against the will and knowledge of his parents.
The charge read in part: “That you Favour Ifeoma Godwin, Kodirichi, Ada Ogbonna Ebere and others now at large did conspire amongst yourselves on the 19th day of July 2018 at Umudogo Village Igbo-Etche to commit felony to wit: Child-stealing.
“That the said defendants on the same date and place did take away a boy of 4-yr-old from the custody and against the will of the parents, Mr and Mrs Emmanuel Victor and thereby committed an offence.
“That you Favour Ifeoma Godwin, Kodirichi Nwankwo and others at large did traffic in person by selling a boy of four years to one Ada Ogbonna Ebere at the rate of N350,000 and thereby committed an offence
“And that you Ada Ogbonna Ebere did buy a 4-yr-old boy at the cost of 350,000 from Favour Ifeoma Godwin and Kodirichi Nwankwo and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 30 (1) (3) of the Child Rights Act Laws Cap 50 LFN 2003.”
Having remanded the defendants in prison custody, Chief Magistrate F.N. Amanze, however, adjourned the case till the 18th day of October 2019.
Meanwhile, the same court has remanded Wale Ganiyu and Ekene Okorafor for allegedly stolen armoured cable valued at 1.5million naira belonging to Well Smart Drilling Company in Igwuruta.
According to count 3: “That you Ekene Okorafor ‘M’ at a dustbin-dump along Eneka Road Omueke Igwuruta in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District did received armoured cable valued at 1.5million naira at the rate of N3,500 from Wale Ganiyu ‘M’ knowing fully well that the cable was stolen or unlawfully obtained and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 427 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol 11 Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.”
The case was adjourned till the 9th day of October 2019.
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