A prosecution witness, Musa Msheli, on Wednesday in a Dutse Grade I Area Court in Abuja, alleged that a defendant, Luka Usman, abducted his five-year-old daughter from his house.
The police charged Usman, a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel, with two counts of criminal trespass and abduction and later added two counts of criminal intimidation and intention to insult.
Led in evidence by the Prosecution Counsel, Mrs Idowu Ojo, Msheli, alleged that the defendant, impregnated his sister-in-law, Dooshima Madu, five years ago and took off.
He stated that Dooshima, who was his wife’s younger sister, had lived with his family since 2010 after the death of her parents.
”Dooshima met the defendant and got pregnant she visited us in Maraba, Nassarawa state.
”She later delivered a baby girl, The defendant refused to do the needful to marry my sister-in-law after she gave birth. He failed to understand that until he meets all traditional requirements, he has no rights or privileges over the child,” he said.
Msheli said that he took guardianship of both mother and child after she graduated and returned to his house in Bwari, Abuja.
He said that he also enrolled the child in school and paid for her private lessons while the father of the girl had never brought anything for her upkeep since she started living in his house.
”On Jan. 7, the defendant appeared in my house, deceived the mother of the child. He told her that he was feeling hungry and wanted to buy some food and drinks from the neighbour’s house.
‘My sister-in-law then asked my eight-year-old daughter and the victim, who is five years now, to accompany him get the drink.
” However, when they got to my neighbour’s house, he stopped at a close-by car wash shop and then told my daughter to return home and get him drinking water.
“He took the five-year-old and all attempts via telephone, to reach him failed because he stopped picking his calls,” he alleged.
The witness said that he reported that matter to the office of the the NSCDC, Nassarawa and all efforts to locate him and the child failed.
He said the defendant was later arrested but he refused to disclose the location of the child while adding that it took the police five months to successfully locate the child and bring her back to her mother.
He also said that the child was returned looking unkept and sickly , she had to be rushed to the hospital for proper checkup.
After the testimony, the defence counsel, Mr Godwin Ike applied to the court for an adjournment in order familiarise himself with the case and appear proper before the court.
Ike said he appeared in the matter to defend Usman because he was standing trial without a counsel and therefore, needed to execute his constitutional rights in order for justice to prevail.
The Presiding Officer, Mr Hassan Aliyu, who granted the application also adjourned further hearing on the matter, until Sept. 2.
