Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
A Makurdi Chief Magistrate Court has remanded a businessman, Benjamin Uttah, and his wife, Ada Benjamin, in prison for criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.
The trial magistrate, Vincent Kor, who handed down the order said the two defendants, who live at Federal Housing Estate North Bank, be remanded due to the weight of the allegations against them.
The Police Public Prosecutor, Hyacinth Gbakor, had earlier told the court that on August 12, one Isiana Amarachi of Oji River, Enugu State, reported at ‘C’ Division Police Station North Bank, Makurdi, that on August 1, she was kidnapped from Abuja and taken to Makurdi to one Benjamin Uttah and Ada Benjamin.
Gbakor said the complainant said on getting to the couple’s house in Makurdi, the wife, Ada Benjamin told her that she would stay with them until she delivered her baby.
He stated further that Amarachi, in her complaint said Ada told her that if she delivered a baby either a boy or a girl, she will be paid N300, 000 in exchange for the baby.
The Police Public Prosecutor informed the court that Amarachi refused to the bargain and insisted to be allowed to go back to Abuja but that the couple threatened to kill her and take whatever baby she delivered.
He said the couple were arrested during police investigation for committing the crime which is contrary to section 97 of the penal code law of Benue State 2004, section 3(2)of the Abduction, Hostage-Taking, Kidnapping, Secret Cult and Similar Activities(Prohibition) Law, 2017.
No plea was taken, counsel to the defendants, Barr AA Adeniran made an oral application for the bail of his clients, but the trial magistrate turned down the bail application.
He then adjourned the case to October 26 for further mention.
In the same court, the same Ada Benjamin was again arraigned for allegedly kidnapping a four months old baby at Kadarko, Nassarawa State.
According to the police, a certain Mbalamen Dogo, mother of the baby was in her shop at Kadarko Market selling palm oil and her baby was crying when one lady walked into her shop and demanded to help her carry her baby so that she could attend to her customers and she obliged.
However, by the time she was through with her customers and returned to collect her baby from the strange lady, both she and her baby had disappeared into the thin air.
The police said investigation later revealed that the said lady had conspired with one Ada Benjamin, who is an ardent child trafficker, who was arrested.
Ada Benjamin was remanded in prison custody and the case adjourned to October 26.