Kemisola Oye
A Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, earlier today, sentenced a saleswoman, Chiwendu Owuasoanya, to seven years in imprisonment for abducting her employer’s 12-year-old niece (name withheld).
Delivering her judgment, Justice Abiola Soladoye held that the prosecution had proved all the elements of child abduction against Owuasoanya.
Justice Soladoye held that the evidence of the prosecution witnesses were truthful and 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 that the nominal complainant and the investigative police officer who diligently investigated the matter were consistent and commended them for their pieces of evidence.
“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 allows 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 have been sufficiently proven by the prosecution,” the judge held.
Justice 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.
Mrs Adegoke submitted that the convict committed the offence on 11 June 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 of Mrs Ruth Dunu.
According to her, the offence contravened Section 268 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2015
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