A Kano State High Court on Tuesday ordered the remand of the owner of Asaba Orphanage Home, Mr. Ogugua Christopher, in a correctional centre over allegations of kidnapping and child trafficking involving several children from Kano.
According to Daily Trust, Christopher, who resides in Asaba, Delta State, is standing trial alongside Hauwa Abubakar and Nkechi Odlyne on a 15-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping, contrary to Sections 97 and 273 of the Kano State Penal Code and Section 32(5) of the Children and Young Person’s Law.
The prosecution alleged that between June 21, 2016, and December 20, 2021, the defendants conspired to abduct numerous children from Kano and sell them in Delta State.
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During the arraignment, Prosecution Counsel Salisu Muhammad-Tahir, who also serves as the Kano Solicitor-General, informed the court that the second and third defendants were absent despite efforts to secure their attendance. He apologized for their absence and requested an adjournment, while urging the court to remand Christopher in custody.
However, Defence Counsel Gideon Uzo pleaded that his client be held by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) instead of a correctional centre.
Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu rejected the plea and ordered Christopher’s remand in a correctional facility, directing NAPTIP to ensure that the other two defendants appear at the next hearing. The case was adjourned until October 27 for further mention and trial commencement.
The case stemmed from a petition filed in December 2022 by the Protection Against Abduction and Trafficking of Our Children (PATAMOC) to NAPTIP, following reports that over 600 children had gone missing from Kano since 2010, with only eight rescued so far.
