BY ABDULGAFAR OLADIMEJI, KANO
A housewife, Maryam Sadiq, 22, and her husband, Abubakar Sadiq, 50, who were arraigned for allegedly kidnapping a day-old child, have been remanded in prison.
The couple, residents of Rijiyar Zaki Quarters, Kano, was alleged to have stolen one of the twin babies within the hospital premises shortly after being delivered by their mother.
Report by the police stated that one Rabi’u Muhammad (male), resident of Gayawa Quarters, Ungogo Local Government Area, Kano, reported to the police that his one-day-old child was missing.
“On September 7, 2021 at Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital Kano, Rabi’u Muhammad’s wife delivered a set of twins. His sister-in-law, who was looking after the babies at the corridor of the maternity ward, slept off. She woke up and did not see one of the babies,” the report said.
The couple was alleged to have acted in contravention of Sections 97 and 273 of the Penal Code.
However, the defendants denied the allegations levelled against them by the police. Counsel to the defendants, MM Usman, prayed the court to admit the suspected persons bail in liberal terms.
The prosecution lawyer, J.I Abubkar, objected to the bail application, arguing that the charges against the defendants were not bail able.
It was gathered that the case file had been forwarded to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
The Chief Magistrate, Halima Nasir, ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody pending the outcome of the advice from the DPP on the matter.
