Court jails woman four years for child theft


Tina Amanda

A Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced One Joy Friday-Jumbo to four years imprisonment for conspiring with a man to steal an eight-month-old baby boy.

Friday-Jumbo was arraigned for stealing and conspiring with others now at large on the 23rd February 2020 in Umuoke village in Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State to steal an eight months baby boy who is still yet to be found, an offence punishable under the criminal law of Rivers State.

The accused was later discovered to be pregnant while on trial inside the correctional facility and delivered a baby girl which court ordered that the baby be retrieved from her and handed over to the Ministry of Social Welfare.

The Presiding Magistrate, Chief Magistrate, Rita Oguguo in her judgment found Joy Friday-Jumbo guilty for conspiracy to steal the missing eight months baby boy and therefore sentenced her to four years imprisonment.

Chief Magistrate Oguguo held that the court will release the child delivered by the convict to any reasonable member of her family that will take care of the child or the baby will still remain in the custody of the Ministry of Social Welfare pending the expiration of the four years jail term of Joy Friday-Jumbo.