A 22-year-old mother, Blessing Udoh, who allegedly sold her three months old baby for a paltry N50,000, is cooling her heels in custody, an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court ruled on Friday in Lagos.
The Magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, ordered that the accused be kept in police custody pending her bail application.
Ms. Udoh is facing a two-count charge of engaging in commercial sex and unlawfully trading a baby.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Police Prosecutor, Kehinde Omisakin, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 30 at 6.00 p.m. in Abattoir area of Oko-Oba in Abule Egba, a Lagos suburb.
Mr. Omisakin alleged that the accused sold her three-month-old baby, Destiny, to Mr. and Mrs. Philip James, who reside at Oron, Akwa Ibom.
“The accused has been caught several times engaging in commercial sex.”
The offences contravened Sections 142 and 276 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accused, on conviction, may be sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, according to the provisions of the law.
The case has been adjourned until August 23 for hearing of the bail application.
(NAN)
