Child theft: Couple jailed, man bags death sentence in Rivers

Judiciary

Court

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

A Rivers High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced one Promise Thompson to death, while it also jailed a couple over theft of a five years old boy in Rivers in 2018.

Thompson stole the child after he shot the father, Chidiebere Ogbugu, during a robbery operation in Rumuolumeni, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of of State in 2018, according to charges filed against him in court.

He later sold the boy to the couple.

According to the police, Thompson jumped bail and escaped from the Police to avoid prosecution after he was initially arrested

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He was arraigned before the court on three counts of armed robbery, kidnapping, child theft after he was re-arrested.

In his judgment, Justice Justice Sika Henry-Aprioku said the prosecution counsel proved that Promise Thompson took the infant he stole to Abia State and sold him to a syndicate that also sold the boy to another syndicate.

He therefore pronounced death sentence on the accused.

Justice Henry-Aprioku added that the police proved that he sold the boy to Queen Chisom and her husband, Lucky who in turn sell his off to another syndicate.

He therefore sentenced the wife and the husband to seven and 10 years imprisonment respectively for child theft.

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