A High Court of Izzi Judicial Division sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State Capital has sentenced a fake National Youth Service Corps member, Blessing Ngozi Abia, to death by hanging for abduction.
The 40-year-old woman, Blessing Ngozi Abia, a native of Imo State was said to have made away with two children of her neighbours in January 2024 from their Nwezenyi residence in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
The Point reliably gathered that the convict impersonated an NYSC member, rented a one room apartment at Nwezenyi, a community in Izzi Local Government Area of the state and within the same week, disappeared with two female children of her neighbours.
One of the kidnapped victims, Ngozi Nwibo, aged 7, was rescued at Oba Idemili LGA of Anambra State during which the female kidnapper was arrested and brought to Ebonyi State Police command headquarters Abakaliki.
Following her confessional statement, she took police to Lagos State where the second victim, Chinaza Nwachukwu, aged 3, was also rescued while the woman who bought her escaped arrest.
The police, after the conclusion of investigation, docked Blessing on a suit marked HIB/10c/2024 before Justice Ruth Okeh.
Justice Okeh found Blessing guilty as charged and sentenced her to death by hanging.
The judge declared that, “In consonance with the provision of Section 4(2) of the Internal Security Enforcement and other Related Matters Laws of Ebonyi State, 2009, the defendant – Blessing Ngozi Abia is hereby found guilty of the offence of kidnapping as charged. Accordingly, she is convicted and sentenced to death.
“The sentence of death given by this court in this case against the convict may be executed by hanging you, the convict (Blessing Ngozi Abia) by neck, till you are dead. May the Lord have mercy on your soul,” the judge ordered.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the prosecuting counsel after the judgement, Assistant State Counsel, Mrs. Ijeoma Mike- Ajanwachukwu lamented rampant cases of child theft in the state, adding, “cases of child stealing are quite rampant in Ebonyi State. Many children have been lost. So, if I charge her for child stealing the law says seven years within the state and if the child is taken outside the state, it is 10 years, before you know it, the person is out and continues the evil acts. So, kidnapping is the best charge for them and kidnapping under Ebonyi law is a capital offence.”
On how the victims were rescued, she said, “God saved the children through a nearby POS operator where she (the convict) withdrew some money to aid her plans. Following the alarm, the POS operator disclosed that a lady who marched their description patronised her, so, through the machine, the true identity of the convict including names and phone number were retrieved and tracked.”
The lawyer warned parents and guardians against sending their wards on errands late at night, saying, “Parents are generally careless about their children. If they are more careful, cases of child stealing will be reduced. At times, you see little children at 7-8pm going to buy matches, moving around the streets all by themselves. It is dangerous. So, parents need to be more careful in handling their children. Being responsible parents, not just parents, will go a long way to reduce the high rate of child stealing/child kidnap in the country.”
