One Decene Akinmetonibi has been sentenced to 19 years in prison for his abduction of a three-year-old baby identified as Opele Honest.
He was arraigned before a Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, on 3 counts of conspiracy, unlawful adoption and selling of the baby.
He was convicted and sentenced by Chief Magistrate, Rita Ogugua, on Tuesday.
Ogugua ruled that the prosecution was able to prove his case beyond a reasonable doubt on the 3 count charge against the convicted.
She sentenced the accused to 5 years in count 1, 7 years in count 2 and 7 years in count 3 making it a total of nineteen years which is to run concurrently.
Chief Magistrate Ogugua ruled that Akinmetonibi who is from Abua Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State stole the three-year-old baby, the son of Honest Eke and sold the child who is yet to be seen to a woman identified as Ezenwayi in Abia State at the sum of N150,000.
The Magistrate also said the prosecution proved that Decene Akinmetonibi and others now at large conspired and stole the child in a community in Abua Odual and proceeded to Eleme Local Government to sell the baby which is against the Provisions of Child Right Act and Rivers State Child Right Protection Act.
Speaking outside the courtroom, the father of the child, Honest Eke expressed satisfaction with the judgment.