Man Remanded For Kidnapping Own Son

A 38-year-old man, Victor Onuigbo, has been remanded in Ikoyi Prisons, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, by an Ebute-Metta Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for allegedly kidnapping his own son.

Victor was alleged to have conspired with two other persons, James Uzofor, 22 and Kojo Sokode, 48, to kidnap his son, Chinweike Onuigbo, who was living with his younger brother, Samuel Onuigbo, at 23, Alaba Okiri Street, Abule, Satellite Town, Lagos on 8 August, 2011.

P.M.NEWS learnt that his brother, Samuel, whom the boy lived with, had gone to Satellite Town Police Station, on 10 August, to lay a complaint about the missing boy and that someone called him to demand for a ransom for the missing boy.

It was also gathered that the boy’s father’s involvement became clear when the police arrested them and called on Samuel to come and identify the kidnappers. They were later charged to court.

They were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping. The offences, according to Mr. Innocent Effiong, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, who is the Prosecuting Police Officer, are punishable under Section 516 and 365 of the Criminal Code Cap. C. 17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.

Count two of the charge reads: “That you Victor Onuigbo, James Uzofor, Kojo Sokode and others still at large, on the 8 August, 2011, at about 12.30, at 23, Alaba Okiri Street, Abule, Satellite Town, Lagos, in the Lagos State magisterial district, did deny Master Chinweike Onuigbo, of his liberty by taking him against his will to an unknown destination and detained him and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 356 of the Criminal Code Cap. C. 17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.”

The father of the boy and the two other defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Samuel, the younger brother to the first defendant, who was a complainant in the case, however, appealed to the court for the withdrawal of the matter because he claimed their family members had decided to wade into the matter.

His withdrawal letter reads: “I am not interested in prosecuting my brother as that would amount to destroying my own family. More so, I shall not want to be involved in the death and destruction of my own brother which such prosecution may lead to.

“The larger family has decided to wade into the matter and find out what my brother’s grievances were and ascertain his level of sanity or otherwise.”

Mrs. C. T. Adesola-Ikpatt, the Chief Magistrate 1, who presided over the case, rejected the application on the ground that the offences committed were against the state.

Ikpatt granted Victor, the father of the boy, bail in the sum of the N200,000, while others were granted a bail of N100,000, with two sureties in like sum.

The sureties, according the magistrate, must show to court evidence of three years tax payment, means of livelihood, and must be residing within the magisterial district. All these must be verified by the court’s prosecutor.

The case has been adjourned till 23 September, 2011, for mention.

The father of the boy and his alleged co-conspirators were later moved to Ikoyi Prisons as they could not meet their bail conditions.

—Paul Sanusi