A 30-year-old woman who allegedly kidnapped a two-year-old girl at Mile 12 Produce Market was docked before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Monday.
The accused, Elizabeth Ibezim, is facing a charge of kidnap.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Benson Emuerhi, told the court that the accused on May 22, at 10.00a.m. took the child away without the consent of her mother.
He said that the child was taken away unknown to her mother who was busy selling yam tubers at the popular market.
Ibezim said: “When the child’s mother eventually noticed that her child was missing, she became frantic and a search party was immediately raised to help find her child.”
Emuerhi said that the accused was caught with the child as she was about to board a commercial vehicle under-the- bridge at Mile 12, a distance from where the child was taken.
He said: “Luck, however, ran out on the accused when she was spotted with the child on her back by the baby’s mother who was in a near state of hysteria.”
The prosecutor said that the police arrested the accused for further investigation.
The offence contravened Section 277 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Chief Magistrate, O. Sule Amzat, granted the accused N100,000 bail with two responsible sureties in like sum.
She said that the gainfully employed sureties must be property owners in Lagos with an evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government as part of the bail conditions.
Amzat adjourned the case until July 9 for hearing.