Two Onitsha-based business women have been arrested by the police and are in detention at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti Yaba, Lagos State.
The suspects, Grace Onye, 52, and Ngozi Ikeh, 45, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the abduction and purchase of a 2-year old baby in the state.
According to reports, Onye and Ikeh were arrested at Ikotun in December last year while going back to Onitsha with a stolen baby sold to them for N300,000 by a man who is now on the run.
Reports gathered that the matter was transferred to SCID following a confessional statement made by one of the suspects, Onye, who allegedly told the police that she had been coming to Lagos to buy babies in the past three years.
Onye and Ikeh allegedly confessed that they had a contact man simply identified as Samuel who usually lodged them at a hotel on Abiola Adeyemi Street, Igando Road, Ikotun whenever they are in Lagos to buy babies.
She told the police that she sold all the babies to those in need, especially barren women.
She was arrested along with her customer, 45-year old Mrs. Ngozi Ikeh, who is barren and needed a child.
Joy Olowolade, the two-year old stolen baby, was allegedly kidnapped at 6, Oladunjoye Street, off Igando Road, Ikotun, Lagos.
Samuel allegedly abducted the baby in a dramatic way around 4 p.m. when he threw a banger in the compound where Joy was playing with other kids.
The sound of the banger caused confusion in the compound and the children ran away in different directions. When the dust settled, Joy was nowhere to be found.
Her elder sister, Eniola Olowolade, after a frantic search for her, alerted her parents, Ayodele and Funke Olowolade, of her disappearance.
Funke explained that one of her neighbours confirmed that she saw the man who snatched the baby during the confusion that followed the explosion of the banger.
Olowolade and neighbours later set up search parties for the missing baby.
They searched for Joy in every house and street in the neighbourhood but could not find her.
In the early morning on the following day, Joy was found with the suspects on their way to a motor park enroute to Onitsha in Anambra State and they were arrested.
The two women were charged before Ebute Metta Magistrate’s court with conspiracy and stealing under the Criminal Code.
They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The presiding Magistrate, S.O. Solebo, ordered them to be remanded in prison custody at Ikoyi in Lagos pending when they will fulfill their bail conditions.
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