21-year-old woman arraigned for allegedly kidnapping a month-old baby

A 21-year-old woman, Ronke Odelabi, of Kolara Area, Ogbomoso, Oyo State absconded with her neighbour's one-month-old baby to Ogbomoso where her parent-in-law reside just to deceive them that she had given birth to a baby.

The mother of the child, Funke Olowokere, resident of Oja-Oba area, Ilorin, said that, on Feb. 2, she gave her child (name withheld) to the accused, who was her co-tenant, while she was busy washing clothes
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She said that when she finished washing, she discovered that Ronke had absconded with the child to unknown destination and all efforts to contact her through her phone number proved abortive.

While investigation was going on, Ronke Odelabi (the accused) who was arraigned in an Ilorin Magistrates’ Court yesterday for allegedly kidnapping a month-old baby was unfortunately caught and arrested with the baby whom she kept with one Odunola Adeyanju in Ogbomoso.

The Prosecutor in charge of the case, Mr Nasiru Yusuf said that the accused was arraigned in the court on a one-count charge of kidnapping, contrary to Section 273 of the Penal Code Law.

Yusuf informed the court that investigation into the matter was yet to be concluded. He objected to the bail application of the accused and urged the court to remand her in prison pending the determination of the case.

Magistrate Ibrahim Mohammed refused the oral application of the prosecutor and released the accused on bail at the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in like sum.

He also ordered that one of the sureties must be a Grade Level 10 officer in the Kwara Civil Service.

He, therefore, adjourned the case until March 18 for further mention.

Source; (NAN)