A Kano State High Court on Tuesday ordered the remand of the owner of Asaba Orphanage Home, Mr Ogugua Christopher, at a correctional centre over alleged kidnapping and trafficking of several children from Kano.
The defendant, who lives at Asaba, Delta, is being tried alongside two others: Hauwa Abubakar and Nkechi Odlyne, on a 15-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping, contrary to Sections 97, 273 of Kano State Penal Code and section 32(5) of the Children and Young Person’s Law of Kano State.
The defendants allegedly conspired between June 21, 2016 to Dec.20, 2021 and kidnapped many Kano children and sold them in Delta State.
When the case came up for arraignment, the prosecution counsel, Mr Salisu Muhammad-Tahir, who is also the Kano Solicitor-General, informed the court that the first and second defendants, Abubakar and Odlyne were absent.
“My Lord, we have tried our possible best to ensure their appearance before this court. We sincerely tender our apology,” Muhammad-Tahir said.
He urged the court to adjourn the case to ensure the presence of the other defendants on the next hearing date, while requesting the remand of Christopher in a correctional centre.
The Defence Counsel, Mr Gideon Uzo, pleaded with the court to remand his client in the custody of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) instead.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu ordered the remand of Christopher in a correctional centre and directed NAPTIP to ensure the production of the two other defendants at the next sitting.
She adjourned the matter until Oct. 27 for further mention and commencement of trial.
The case followed a petition filed in December 2022 by the Protection Against Abduction and Trafficking of Our Children (PATAMOC) to NAPTIP, over the alleged disappearance of more than 600 children from Kano since 2010, out of which eight children were later rescued.
