A 72-year-old medical doctor and two women have been remanded in custody by the Anambra State Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Offences Court in Awka for allegedly abducting and trafficking a seven-year-old boy.
The defendants — Dr. Daniel Ikebuilo, 72, Ifunanya Ogbonna, 23, and Chidiogo Ogbonna, 20 — were arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, child theft, and unlawful sale of a minor. They all pleaded not guilty.
Presiding over the case, Chief Magistrate U.E. Onochie ordered their remand at the Awka Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to August 13 for ruling on their bail applications.
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Chinyere Okechukwu, the incident occurred on April 30 in the Okpoko area of Onitsha. She told the court that the two female suspects conspired to deceive and take the child from his mother, Kosarachukwu Okpala.
The boy was allegedly sold to Dr. Ikebuilo for ₦700,000, who in turn resold him for ₦2.3 million.
Okechukwu stated that the offences violated Sections 495(a) and 321 of the Anambra Criminal Code Law (1991), Section 31(1)(4) of the Child Rights Law (2004), and Section 15(1) of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition and Protection Law (2017).
The prosecutor also revealed that Ifunanya Ogbonna and Dr. Ikebuilo had been previously arraigned on similar charges in March. She added that the latest offence occurred shortly after they were granted bail.