A Chief Magistrate Court of the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court, sitting in Awka, Anambra State has sentenced one Faith Obi and Chinenye Obete to multiple jail terms.
Obi (32) and Obete (41) were arraigned on a five-count charge of child stealing, abduction of children and illegal dealing in children; fraudulently enticing away and habouring a seven-year-old boy and forcefully isolating the child from lawful possession of their parents.
The offences are punishable under the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Laws of Anambra State, 2017 respectively.
Delivering judgment on the case, Presiding Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe said the accused were found guilty of all the five charges brought against them.
The Magistrate sentenced Obi and Obete to four-year imprisonment in count 1; five-year imprisonment in count 2; five-year imprisonment in count 3; five-year imprisonment in count 4 and a term of 6 months imprisonment in count 5.
She declared that all sentences would run concurrently without any option of fine.
Reacting, Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo expressed satisfaction with the court judgment, warning intending offenders to change or leave the state as the Governor Soludo-led administration would not hesitate to bring them to justice.
