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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State High Court in Abakaliki, the state capital, has sentenced two men; Kelechi Iloke and Ikpere Kingsley, to death by hanging for kidnapping a two-year-old boy whom they sold for N500,000.
The court found them guilty of kidnapping the child which they carried out on the 23rd day of August 2020.
In the charge marked HAB/50c/202, Kelechi Iloke, a landlord’s son at the Ndufu Amuzu community in Ezza South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state was convicted for kidnapping their tenant’s son Benjamin, 2, by luring him out of their apartment in the guise to buy biscuits for him, but did not bring him back to the parents till date.
During the prosecution, the court found out that the second defendant, Ikpere Kingsley, took the missing child, Benjamin, to someone known as OG, at the Nkalagu community in Ishielu LGA of the state, where he sold him at the rate of N500,000.00.
The trial judge, Justice Chinyere Ken-Eze, found Kelechi Iloke and Ikpere Kingsley guilty of kidnapping as charged and sentenced them to death by hanging.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Ijeoma Mike-Ajanwachukwu, a state Deputy Director in the Minist0ry of Justice, hailed the judgment. She implored parents to be more alive to their parental responsibilities towards their children and wards to curb such incidents.
“On the 23rd day of August 2020, at Ndufu Amuzu community in Ezza South LGA of Ebonyi State, the first defendant went to their tenant ‘s house, carried his children, a female, four years, and Benjamin, male, two years, to buy biscuits for them. After buying the biscuits, Benjamin refused to go with his sister back to their apartment.
“The girl went to inform her elder sister to bring Benjamin by herself, but on getting to their landlord’s apartment, the first defendant and little Benjamin were nowhere to be found.
“On return from the day’s activities, father of the missing Benjamin reported the matter to Onueke Police Division, which led to the arrest of the landlord and his son. While in custody at Onueke, the first defendant (landlord’s son) confessed that he handed the said Benjamin to the second defendant, Ikpere Kingsley, who was waiting on a standby bike.
“In January 2021, the second defendant was also arrested and he admitted that the first defendant handed the missing Benjamin over to him, who he took to Nkalagu community in Ishielu LGA of the state the same day and sold him to someone he identified as OG at N500,000.00. But he was paid a cash of only N150,000.00 with a promise to get the balance, subsequently, before his arrest by the police.
“Following all the confessional statements by the defendants, they were charged to court, convicted, and sentenced to death by hanging. Efforts to recover the missing Benjamin is still not successful till date,” the Prosecutor narrated.
