Kano State High Court has today remand the owner of Asaba Orphanage Home in Delta State Mr Ogugua Christopher, at a correctional centre over alleged kidnapping and trafficking of hundreds of Kano children which were illegally trafficked and sold out in Asaba Capital of Delta State of the State.
Justice Amina Adamu Aliyu gave the order today to remand Christopher in a correctional centre and ordered NAPTIP to produce the two other defendants during the next sitting.
The defendants allegedly conspired between June 21, 2016 to Dec.20, 2021 and kidnapped many Kano children and sold them in Delta State.
The defendant, who lives in Asaba, Delta State, is being tried alongside two others: Hauwa Abubakar and Nkechi Odlyne, on a 15-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping, which is contrary to section 97, 273 of Kano State Penal Code and section 32(5) of the Children and Young Person’s Law of Kano State.
When the case came up hearing and arraignment, the prosecution Counsel, Mr Salisu Muhammad Tahir, who is also the Solicitor-General of the State told the court that the first and second defendants, Abubakar and Odlyne were absent.
He appealed 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 adjourned the matter until 27th Oct.this year 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 only eight children were later rescued.
