Woman Jailed For Child Kidnap

A middle- aged woman, Ngozi Eze-Azubuike, who kidnapped a baby boy to deceive her boyfriend, was last Thursday sentenced to one year in prison without fine option.

Prosecutor John Odey told an Abuja magistrate court that Ngozi kidnapped nine months old Chukwudi Nwiyiynyi from his parent’s house opposite Karimo Police Station on October 9, 2009 and ran to an unknown destination.

Odey further told the court that the accused disappeared with the baby for a period of two months before she was apprehended in Lagos with the baby.

When the charge was read to the accused, she pleaded guilty and begged the court to tamper justice with mercy.

“I kidnapped the baby and took him to my boyfriend’s house in Lagos in order to deceive him that the baby is a product of our relationship, as I was pregnant when he left me,” she stated.

She said her boyfriend was pleased with the news and called a crowd to celebrant the child’s naming ceremony, where the baby was named Tochukwu.

According to her, the police spoilt the fun by arresting her two weeks after celebrating the home coming of the child.

The accused begged the court to forgive and have pity on her.

After the confession, the prosecutor urged the court to try the accused summarily under Section 157 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), adding that the offence is punishable under Section 273 of the Penal Code Law.