Tina Amanda
One Joy Friday-Jumbo has been arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt for child theft.
Friday-Jumbo is accused of stealing her landlady’s eight months old baby boy, on 23rd February 2020, at Umuoko village, Aluu community, in Ikwerre local government area of the state.
She faces a two-count charge for child theft and conspiracy, which is a punishable offense under the Criminal Justice Laws of Rivers State.
The Suspect, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge and her counsel thereafter applied for bail application with reference to a certain section of the law which was opposed by the prosecution counsel.
The presiding Magistrate, Senior Magistrate Rita Oguguo, after listening to the arguments of Counsels adjourned the case to 19th March 2020 and reserved the bail application for the next sitting.
Senior Magistrate Oguguo ordered the accused be remanded in Nigerian Correctional Service in Port Harcourt till the next adjourned date.
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Speaking to our correspondent Tina Amanda, mother of the missing child, Ijeoma Wagah, insisted that the accused conspired with a man she introduced as her husband to steal her baby.
According to her, on Sunday 23rd February, she came back from church on entering the compound, the accused who is her tenant came to welcome her and requested to carry the baby, which she later obliged to because that is not the first time the accused is carrying the baby.
The landlady stressed that Joy Friday-Jumbo carried the baby into her own apartment, and later came out from her apartment with the baby alongside a man she introduced to be her husband.
She said a few minutes later the accused and the man she introduced as her husband offered to buy some biscuits for her children and asked her go along with the baby and her first daughter to buy the things.
She explained further that minutes later her older daughter who went out with them alongside the baby, came back asking if the accused and the brother have returned with the baby, as she was sent to buy banana by the accused while leaving them and the baby behind.
The landlady lamented that since 23rd February to date her baby boy is yet to be found.
