An Ondo State Justice of the Peace Court docket, sitting in Akure, has ordered the remand of three individuals, Sabira Izuora, Lukman Isiaka, and Abosede Olanipekun in jail custody for allegedly kidnapping and promoting 14 youngsters.
Males of the state police command had arrested the trio for allegedly kidnapping the 4 infants and 10 underage youngsters in Osun and Ondo states. The police stated after Isiaka and Olanipekun kidnapped the victims in each states, they bought them to Izuora who operated an orphanage house in Enugu State.
In response to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Wilfred Afolabi, throughout the parade of the defendants, they allegedly bought every little one to the 62-year-old Izuora for N500,000 whereas the latter bought every of the infants for N1m to her clients.
They had been arraigned earlier than the court docket on Wednesday final week on seven counts, bordering on conspiracy, abduction, felony, acquiring by false pretences, and aiding and abetting.
It was nonetheless gathered that the police charged the defendants in court docket for stealing two infants whereas different victims had been nonetheless of their custody.
The prosecutor, Inspector Augustine Omhenimhen, informed the court docket that the offences had been dedicated between July 21, 2023, and August 27, 2024, in varied areas throughout the state.
He acknowledged, “Olanipekun and Isiaka, on July 21, 2023, at Ire-Akari Corridor, Orita Obele Property, Akure, kidnapped a baby, Ayomide Abass, from his mom, Korede Abass. Equally, on August 27, 2024, at 8:00 a.m., in Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State, they kidnapped a nine-month-old child, Brilliant, from her mom, Persistence Oliver.”
The prosecutor additional alleged that Izuora obtained and harboured the victims paying N900,000 for every little one, absolutely conscious that they’d been stolen.
In response to him, the offences contravened Sections 516 and 317(1) of the Felony Code and Sections 3(1)(b) and 5(1) of the Ondo State Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Abduction Legislation, 2010.
Omhenimhen filed a written software requesting the court docket to remand the defendants on the Olokuta Correctional Centre in Akure, pending recommendation from the Workplace of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
In his ruling, the Justice of the Peace, Taiwo Lebi, held that the court docket lacked jurisdiction to take the defendants’ pleas, and ordered them to be remanded on the Olokuta Correctional Centre. He directed that the case file be despatched to the DPP for authorized recommendation and adjourned the case until April 10, 2025, for additional point out.