Court Remands Man for Alleged Theft, Sale of Two Children in Anambra

An Anambra State Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Offences Court sitting in Awka on Thursday remanded Sunday Nome, 42, over alleged theft and sale of two young boys.
Nome pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, child stealing, illegal dealing in children and sale of children.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs U.E. Onochie, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Awka Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until July 29 for hearing.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Chinyere Okechukwu, told the court that the defendant, alongside one Ngozi Ali, who is still at large, allegedly committed the offences between Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 at Nkpor in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
Okechukwu alleged that the defendant conspired with the suspect at large to forcefully take a two-year-old boy from his mother, Maryam Tajudeen, against her will.
She further alleged that the defendant also forcefully took a four-year-old boy from his father, Mr Sunday Ogadi.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant thereby separated and isolated the children from their families.
Okechukwu said that the defendant allegedly sold the two-year-old boy for N1.6 million and was in the process of selling the other lad when he was arrested.
She said the offences contravened Section 495(a) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra State, 1991, as amended.
Okechukwu added that the alleged offences also violated Sections 31(1), 32(c), 33(1) and 34 of the Anambra State Child Rights Law, 2004, as well as Section 15(1) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Law of Anambra State, 2017.
She prayed the court to remand the defendant pending the hearing of the case.