Court Remands Woman For Kidnapping Neighbour's Son

A Chief Magistrate's court sitting at Ebute Meta, Lagos State, has
ordered that 39-year-old Rosemary Chukwu be remanded in prison pending
when she would perfect her bail terms.

Chukwu was accused of conspiring with some others to kidnap her
neighbour's son, Emmanuel Kelvin, 6.

The police said the Cross River State indigene tied up the victim's
mouth, hands and legs before stuffing him in a travelling box.

The incident happened in the Majidun, Ikorodu area of Lagos.
PUNCH had reported in June that the suspect and her children denied
knowing about Kelvin's whereabouts.

PUNCH correspondent reported that Chukwu allegedly left her
neighbours, who were looking for the boy, and said she was travelling
with a box on her head.

The landlady was said to have asked people to give her a chase and
when the travelling box fell, an unconscious Kelvin was found.

A mob was said to have beaten her to a pulp before security operatives
arrived at the scene and saved her from being lynched.

Upon interrogation, she allegedly claimed she was sent by a pastor who
had been tormenting her in her dreams.

The mother of four was arraigned on three counts of kidnapping and
attempted murder.

The charges read in part, "That you, Rosemary Chukwu, on June 25,
2014, at about 7.30am at Omo-Ologede Street, Majidun, Ikorodu, Lagos,
in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire with others now at
large to unlawfully abduct by kidnapping one of your neighbour's child
in an Echolacc box which you carried on your head, travelling to an
unknown place before your arrest.

"That you used cloths to tie the mouth, hands and legs of one Emmanuel
Kelvin, aged six years, with intent to unlawfully kill him, you
forcefully put him inside a box which resulted in his being
unconscious."

The police prosecutor, DSP Etim Nkankuk, said the offences were
punishable under sections 409, 269 and 288 of the Criminal Law of
Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

Chukwu said she was not guilty of the charges and elected summary
trial. Her defence counsel, Ola Ogunbiyi, asked for her bail in
liberal terms.

But the police prosecutor urged the court to deny her bail. Nkankuk
said, "Aside from the fact that the defendant has no fixed address in
Lagos, the six-year-old victim has been hospitalised since the
incident."

The defence counsel denied the claim adding that, "the charges are frivolous."

The Chief Magistrate, O.O. Olatunji admitted Chukwu to bail in the sum
of N300,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He said, "The sureties must be gainfully employed, with evidence of
tax payment. They should also deposit the sum of N50, 000 in the
designable account of the Chief Registrar. They should be blood
relations of the defendant.

"Meanwhile, the case file should be duplicated for legal advice, and
it is ordered that the defendant be remanded pending the perfection of
her bail terms."

PUNCH