Lovers Accused Of Kidnapping 6-Yr-Old

                                    

An unemployed man, Pius Ogbonna, 35, and his lover, Ijeoma Odoka, 30, were yesterday arraigned before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Oyingbo, for allegedly kidnapping a six-year-old boy, Jeremiah Agbase.

The lovers were charged before the court on a two-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful capture and kidnapping, preferred against them by the police.

They were alleged to have on August 22, 2014, at about 19.30 hours, at their residence, 1, Adidas street, Tolu, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, kidnapped their victim, whose aunty is their next door neighbour.

It was gathered that the victim who is yet to be found, came to Lagos from Anambra state, to spend the long vacation with his aunty when the defendant kidnapped him.

The prosecutor, DSP Etim Nkankuk, told the court that the victim’s aunty brought the victim to Lagos because of school and the victim’s elder brother, who came from Anambra to spend the holiday with her.

He said the victim got missing while his aunty was still at work, adding that the defendants had sent the victim to buy sachet water and also sent the victim’s elder brother to buy cigarette.

But before the elder brother of the victim came back, the victim could not be found.

Meanwhile, one of the defendants, Ogbonna, raised alarm and they started searching for the boy, adding that the victim was still missing.

According to the prosecutor the offences committed by the defendants is contrary to sections 269 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The counsel to the defendants, Ola Ogunbiyi and Beauty Otigi, urged the court to grant the defendants bail in the most liberal terms as they are still presumed innocent.

They told the court that the bail applications were in pursuant to Section 35 (5) of 1999 Nigerian constitutions and Section 115 (2) of Administration of Criminal Justice of Lagos State, 2011.

Consequently, Magistrate, A. A. Demi-Ajayi, granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two responsible sureties each in like sum.

She also ordered that the defendants should deposit the sum of N20,000 each in the account of the Chief Registrar of Lagos State.

And that the sureties must produce evidence of three years tax receipt payable to Lagos state government, sworn to affidavit of means; and that one of the sureties must be a blood relation to the defendants.

The matter was adjourned till November 26 for trial.

Vanguard