A Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced three suspects to 12 years imprisonment for conspiracy, abduction and trafficking of a year and ten months child.
Nigeriacrime.com learned the trio identified as Victoria John-Barile, Jennifer Osuji and Ugochukwu Okere conspired, abducted and child trafficked a minor in Port Harcourt,
The court also discharged and acquitted Emmanuel Onyebuchi, who is also standing on the same trial for lack of sufficient evidence against him in the allegation.
The Chief Magistrate, Rita Oguguo, sentenced the suspects after convicting them of conspiracy, abduction and child trafficking in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Oguguo in her judgment said the prosecution was able to prove that the convicts conspired on the 14th of April, 2020, at Umuojiohi community in Afara clan, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The magistrate noted that the suspects truly abducted and trafficked one Precious Irechukwu, a one-year-old and ten-month-old baby.
She maintained that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Victoria John-Barile, Jennifer Osuji, and Ugochukwu Okere conspired and sold the child to one Chinyere and Chioma at the sum of N500,000.
The Chief Magistrate ordered the commissioner of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, to commence a search for Jennifer Osuji who was absent from court to serve her sentence.
She held that the sentence of the convicted is to run concurrently starting from the day they were remanded in prison.
Oguguo, also referred Chief B.O Egbuawa, counsel for the Second defendant in the matter, Jennifer, to the Legal Practitioner Disciplinary Council for investigation and possible disciplinary action for facilitating the release and escape of his client.
EGBUAWA had reportedly secured the bail of Jennifer Osuji from a high court after he failed every attempt at the Magistrate court. However, Osuji and her lawyer later stopped attending the trial.