Two charged with trafficking two-day-old baby

A man and a woman on Tuesday appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over alleged trafficking in a two-day-old baby.
The accused, Ogbu Orji, 43, and Chinyere Okonkwo, 27, are facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, human trafficking and assault.
They both live in Abia State.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, said that the accused committed the crime on November 6.
Odigie said: “Okonkwo stole the baby from Abia and entered a bus to Lagos.
“The baby cried for attention in the bus and the passengers and the bus driver told Okonkwo to feed the baby but she refused.
“The driver and the passengers interrogated Okonkwo about the baby and she said that the mother of the baby was in Lagos.
“The driver of the bus reported the case to the police at Area F Command, Ikeja because Okonkwo said that the mother of the child was in Lagos.”
Odigie said that a police investigation team went to Abia State to arrest Orji, who, he said, was involved in the crime.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene Sections 274, 135, 269 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The section prescribes 14 years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of human trafficking.
Both of the accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The Chief Magistrate, A.A. Demi-Ajayi, granted each of them bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Demi-Ajayi adjourned the case till January 27, 2014 for substantive trial.