20-Year-Old Woman Bags 7-year Jail Term For Stealing Baby

A 20-year-old woman, Chidinma Eze has been sentenced by a chief magistrates' court in Benin to seven years in prison for stealing a four-month-old baby.

The accused was found guilty and convicted by Magistrate Peter Asemota.

According to report, Chidinma had pleaded guilty during her arraignment on September 30, 2013.

Without any option of fine, the magistrate sentenced her to 7 years imprisonment.

"I have listened to the unequivocal plea of guilt by the accused person, I have listened to the facts as presented by the prosecutor and I have also read through the statement made to the police by the accused.

"From the statement, the accused admitted that she stole the baby and that she and two others took the baby to Lagos to solicit for funds.

"They went out on three occasions and realised about N30, 000, out of which they paid their hotel bills and fed the baby,"Asemota said.
Asemota stated that it was clear from the statement and the action of the three suspects that they had no intention of returning the baby to its biological mother.

"I am satisfied from the evidence before me that the accused committed the crimes which she has freely admitted to,both at the police station and in the court.

"In the circumstances, I find the accused person guilty as charged on both counts, and convict her accordingly in each of the two counts,''Asemota said.

The prosecutor, ASP Samuel Ogar, during Eze's arraignment, had submitted that she and the two others stole the baby on September 3, 2013 at No. 2, Agbado Lane, Off Ogbado Street, Benin City, adding that her accomplices, aged 15 and 16, had been taken to the juvenile court.
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