Woman Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison Over Child Theft In Anambra

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Victoria Enwerem (Anosike), a 42-year-old woman, has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for stealing five children in Onitsha, Anambra State. The judgement was delivered by a Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court in Awka, Anambra State.

Enwerem was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to steal children, fraudulently enticing away and harbouring children, and forcefully isolating the children from the lawful possession of their parents.

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These charges are punishable under the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Laws of Anambra State, 2017.

The stolen children were between the ages of 3 and 10 years old. Enwerem was found guilty of all three charges brought against her based on oral testimonies from the defendant herself and plaintiff witnesses, as well as other materials placed before the court.

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, stated that there were overwhelming pieces of evidence against the defendant, and the prosecutor had proved his case beyond reasonable doubt.

The defendant was sentenced to four years imprisonment in count one, eight years imprisonment in count two, and a term of six months imprisonment in count three. The sentences will run concurrently without an option of fine.

According to the police prosecutor who prosecuted the case, Enwerem conspired with one Oluchi Ahamefula, now at large, in September 2022 to steal children at the popular MCC Junction in Onitsha with a view to moving the children to an unknown destination. Enwerem was caught by officers of the Nigerian Police Force who were on a stop and search operation at Oraifite in Anambra State.

Enwerem was granted bail but jumped bail and was later tracked and apprehended at a remote part of Ebonyi State in possession of two other underage kids whom she allegedly stole from their parents. It was later discovered that she had continued her business of stealing children while hiding in Ebonyi State.

Enwerem was arraigned before the court a second time, during which she told the court that her defense counsel, one C. D. Nwaka-Ohuoha, Esq, deceived her, collected an undisclosed amount of money from her, and informed her to stop going to court with a promise that the defense counsel would scuttle the case pending in court and ensured that the defendant would never go to prison.

The presiding Magistrate condemned and expressed sadness over the attitude of the defense counsel, describing it as an unprofessional legal practice. She further commended the Nigerian Police Force for their doggedness and commitment in tracking and recapturing Enwerem to face her trials.

The Chief Magistrate urged the women and Social Welfare Ministry in Awka to write to the Ministry of Women Affairs in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to see that the orphanage home allegedly being managed by Enwerem is closed down.