By Ayodele Popoola

|

Ondo State Police Command has arraigned seven suspects, including a family of four before an Akure Magistrate Court, over a missing two and a half-year-old child, Obaloluwa Ajobiewe.

The suspects are: Charity John, 35; Meshak Job, 18; Rimankuku Job, 15; Godstime Joseph,15; Emmanuel Job, 40; John Joseph, 27 and Bosede Emmanuel, 30.

They are facing five counts charge of alleged criminal conspiracy, unlawful detention, child stealing and breach of the peace.

The Hope Metro gathered that the mother of the boy reported him missing to the police on January 24, 2024, at Giwa Babarere Camp, Reserve area in Idoani, Ose Local Government Area of the state.

The mother of the missing child, Roseline Ajobiewe, claimed she saw her child playing with one of the defendants before she went to the stream to fetch water. But to her surprise, she did not see her child again when she returned.

Police prosecutor, Folashade Adeyemi told the court that the defendants committed the offence at about 6 pm at the Camp in Idoani.

Adeyemi alleged the defendants conspired to commit a felony to with: child stealing and deprived the two and a half -year-old, Obaoluwa Ajobiewe, of his lawful parents, Roseline Ajobiewe and Friday Ajobiewe.

She also said on same date, time and place, the defendant unlawfully imprisoned the child and prevented him from discovering his whereabouts by the parents.

Adeyemi further alleged that the defendant and her husband caused a breach of the peace by preventing the camp search team from entering their house to search for the missing child.

The offence, according to the charge, contravened Sections 516, 371, 364, 365, and 361 (2) of the Criminal Code, Cap.37, Vol 1. Laws of the Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts against them.

The prosecutor prayed for an adjournment to enable her study the case file.

Lawyer to the defendants, T.A. Okesola, prayed the court to commit his clients to bail in most liberal terms.

Magistrate Adekunle Ogunmoyela granted the defendants bail in the sum of N1million each with two sureties each in like sum.

 He said one of the sureties must be the Baale of the camp, and also ordered the two under-aged defendants to be taken to the Juvenile Court for proper prosecution.

Ogunmoyela adjourned the case till February 29, 2024, for hearing.