A Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, sitting in Ikeja, has sentenced a saleswoman, Chiwendu Owuasoanya, to seven years in jail for abducting her employer’s 12-year-old niece (name withheld).
Delivering her judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye held that the prosecution had proven all elements of child abduction against Owuasoanya.
Soladoye held that the evidence of the prosecution witnesses were truthful and were unshaken.
She described the convict as an irresponsible liar who abducted the girl on the third day of work and kept her away for nine days on the pretext that she did not want the girl to be maltreated by her aunt.
The judge said the nominal complainant and the investigative police officer who diligently investigated the matter were consistent and commended them for their evidences.
“The defendant was a new shop worker to the complainant and had only worked for three days.
“The defendant was deliberate and she admitted taking the child away.
“She is mean and reckless and allowed her employer to run from pillar to post looking for the child.
“The defendant is hereby found guilty as the three legs of the ingredients of abduction has been sufficiently proven by the prosecution,” the judge said.
Soladoye sentenced Owuasoanya to seven years imprisonment, following her conviction.
The state counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, presented two witnesses, while the convict testified as a sole witness.
Adegoke submitted that the convict committed the offence on June 11, 2022, at 8.00 p.m., in Abule-Ado, Lagos.
She submitted that the convict fraudulently and unlawfully abducted the 12 year old girl from the custody one one Mrs Ruth Dunu.
According to her, the offence contravened Section 268 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015