‘I didn’t steal him, I found him on the road’

A 30-year-old woman, Shade Odubayo, who was arraigned yesterday in court for allegedly stealing a four-year-old, told the presiding magistrate she found the child alone on the road and was only being a Good Samaritan to him.

Odubayo is standing trial at an Ebute-Meta chief magistrate court on a two-count charge of child theft and abduction.

In her defence, the accused told the court that she found the four-year-old boy, Moshood Awogundade, on the street without any companion. “I did not steal the boy. Rather, I picked him up on the street. I was walking along Lover Street in Ikorodu when I saw him. I thought he missed his way and never knew that he resides with his parents,” she explained.

The prosecutor, Inspector Chialu Nwadione, told the court that the accused abducted Awogundade about 5.30pm and was taking him to an unknown place when residents around there who saw her carry him accosted her.

But Odubayo pleaded not guilty to the charges, maintaining she only picked Awogundade up on the street for safe-keeping.

Inspector Nwadione agreed the court could grant the accused bail “in the interest of justice.”

Thus, the presiding magistrate, Mrs O.A. Adedayo, granted Odubayo bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.

Mrs Adebayo ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody pending when she would perfect her bail conditions.