Court jails three for abducting, selling 2-yr-old baby

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sent three persons to jail for abducting and selling a two-year-old boy.

The convicts, Olujimi Mayokun, Peace Eze and Adaugo Okafor were arraigned on November 13, 2018, by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, on six counts of child abduction and sale of person.

According to the prosecution, the offences contravened Sections 13 and 21 of the Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act 2015.

According to NAPTIP, Eze and Okafor kidnapped their neighbour’s son and demanded ransom from his parents.

They however took the child to Port Harcourt where they met with Mayokun, who connived with them to sell the child.

A statement from NAPTIP on Wednesday revealed that the boy was taken to one Omega Power Ministry in Port Harcourt and sold to unknown persons.

The boy is yet to be located.

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The trial judge, Justice J.K Omotosho, listening to the prosecuting and defence counsels, found the trio guilty on all six counts and sentenced the first defendant, Mayokun, to three years’ imprisonment on the first count and seven years’ imprisonment on the second count.

The sentences, according to the judge,were to run concurrently.

“The second and third defendants were sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of N250,000. On the third and fourth counts, they were sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with a fine of N5,000,000 on the fifth and sixth counts. The sentences are to run concurrently,” NAPTIP said.

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