A\young couple, Mr and Mrs Lucky and Joy Godwin, alongside a 20-year-old hotel gateman in Abakaliki, Eboyin State, have been arraigned before a Magistrate court for murder of a yet-to-be-identified woman, and stealing of her two-year-old baby, simply called Oluomachi.
The deceased was allegedly murdered at the Crown Garden Hotel, Afikpo Road, Abakaliki on November 30, 2018 by the couple, who are said to specialise in child trafficking, in connivance with Monday Onwe, a gateman.
The man and wife, 26 and 24 years old, respectively, are said to be natives of Okporo village, Ezza Effium in Ohaukwu Local Government Council Area of the state.
In a suit number ‘MAB/12C/2019’, the couple, the gateman and others, at large, were, among four other charges, accused of selling a five-year-old boy (the couple’s biological son, Emmanuel) to one Dr. Avon from Rivers State.
They were said to have contravened an offence that is punishable under sections 324, 319 (1) and 516A(a) of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009, and sections 30(2)and 32(3) of the 2010 State Child Rights and Related Matters law.
Their charges read in part, ”That you Lucky Godwin, Monday Onwe and Joy Godwin and others at large, on the aforementioned date, place and time, fraudulently took away and detained in your custody little Oluomachi, a two-year-old baby, who was under the care of her biological mother, whom you killed and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 30(2) of the Ebonyi State Child Rights and Related Matters law 2010.”
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Stella Oguoke, ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody with all documents and evidences in the matter transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution for re-assignment as the matter was said to be beyond the jurisdiction of the Magistrate court.
The matter was adjourned to March 11. 2019 for further hearing.
