An Enugu North Magistrates’ Court has admitted in evidence documents tendered by the Nigeria Police against one Blessing Eze for alleged child trafficking.
Magistrate J.N. Achi-Kanu admitted the documents on Wednesday, when the Investigation Police Officer, Mrs Chinyere Chime, led the defendant in evidence-in-chief.
Among the documents tendered by Chime from Gender and Child trafficking, State Criminal Investigation Department, Enugu, included her statement and those of four victims and the defendant’s.
The defendant, whose lawyer, S.N Solomon, was not in court, denied signing any documents while in police custody but only wrote her name on the statement.
Achi-Kanu admitted the documents, in spite of her denial and adjourned the matter to Sept. 19 for continuation of hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the magistrate had on July 12 granted bail to Eze, in the sum of N500,000.
Eze, 27, was standing trial for allegedly dealing in slave trade and unlawful confinement of four pregnant girls as well as child trafficking.
She had pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.
Following the application for bail by her counsel, the magistrate granted her bail, with one surety in like sum.
Achi-Kanu directed that the address of the surety be verified and means of identification submitted to the court.
The prosecutor, Mr B.I. Ogbu, had told the court that the defendant and others, still at large, had on June 17 conspired among themselves to confine the four girls in her house.
Ogbu asserted that their intent was to have the girls eventually give birth to babies who would be handed over to different hospitals to be sold.
He said that the offence allegedly committed was contrary to Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Revised Law of Enugu State, 2004.
NAN also reports that the pregnant girls had not appeared in court since the trial commenced.
The defendant, if convicted of the two-count charge, is liable to seven and 14 years imprisonment, respectively, without an option of fine. (NAN)
