A 30-year-old man, Kingsley Solomon, has been ordered to be remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Okaka, Bayelsa State, by a Magistrate Court in Yenagoa. Solomon is accused of stealing a two-month-old baby in Azikoro Town, Yenagoa Local Government Area.
The order for remand was issued by Chief Magistrate Sarah B.I. Avoh of Court 15 in Yenagoa. During the court proceedings, the charges were read to the defendant in English, but he did not enter a plea.
Solomon was arraigned by the Bayelsa State Police Command before Magistrate Sarah B.I. Avoh on two counts related to assault and child stealing.
According to the prosecution, Solomon allegedly assaulted Joy Lucky by striking her left eye on June 23, 2023, with the intention of stealing her child. This act is said to be an offense punishable under section 282 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C14, Laws of Bayelsa State 2006.
Additionally, Solomon is accused of stealing a two-month-old baby named Success Alfred, who is Joy Lucky’s child, on June 24, 2023, in Azikoro Town, Yenagoa. This offense is punishable under section 298 (a) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C14, Laws of Bayelsa State 2006.
According to the police report, Solomon, who claimed to have had a previous relationship with Joy during her early pregnancy at a brothel, is not the biological father of Success Alfred.
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According to Joy, she had told Kingsley that she was already pregnant but was in dire need of money hence her affair with him in a hotel along Bayelsa palm area, for two hours.
According to her, the duo went their separate ways after the affair only for Kingsley to reappear when she was eight months pregnant to claim the unborn baby, this angered Alfred whom she was living with and is supposed to be the original father of the unborn child.
As Kingsley was claiming to be the father of the unborn child, this left the supposed father, Alfred furious causing him to deny Joy access to his house, and chased her away, she went back to another man identified as Idafe, whom she claimed to have four children with.
After two months of child birth, Kingsley resurfaced at Idafe house, with anger to collect the baby, Joy and Idafe refused him access to the baby.
When Joy refused handing over the child to Kingsley, and Idafe was not around, he forcefully took her baby away after a fight which left her injured and unconscious for a short period of time.
Kingsley Solomon pleaded not guilty to the charges of assault and baby stealing on July 3, 2023. He will remain in the Correctional Facility for a minimum of 15 days until his appearance in the Magistrate Court on July 18, 2023.
Magistrate Sarah B.I. Avoh stated that Solomon could be granted bail by a permanent secretary with a salary structure of N500,000 or be remanded in the correctional facility.
The case has been adjourned until July 18, 2023.
It should be noted that Kingsley Solomon was arrested by the Bayelsa Police Command, in collaboration with the Eunice Nnachi Women Advocacy Foundation (ENWAF), following the reported assault on Joy Lucky and the theft of baby Success Alfred along IYC Road, Azikoro Town.
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