By Our correspondent
The Anambra State Police Command on Wednesday arraigned a 72-year-old doctor, Daniel Ikebuilo, and two women, Ifunanya Ogbonna, 24, and Odinaka Okorie, 27, for allegedly stealing and selling children.
The defendants appeared before the state’s Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Offences Court in Awka, where they faced five counts bordering on conspiracy, child stealing, illegal deals, and sale of children.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Chinyere Okechukwu, the defendants committed the offences between July 2024 and February 2025 at Nkwelle-Ezunaka in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra.
Okechukwu alleged that the defendants conspired to take away two children, aged six and five, against their parents’ wish.
The doctor allegedly sold the six-year-old child for ₦3 million, while the other defendants sold the five-year-old child to the doctor for ₦1.2 million.
The offences contravened Sections 495(a) and 321 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra, 1991, as amended, and Section 31(1) (4) of the state’s Child Rights Law of 2004.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. U.E. Onochie, granted each of the defendants bail in the sum of ₦1 million with a surety in like sum.
The case was adjourned until May 7 for substantive hearing.
