The father of a six-year-old who was kidnapped and taken to Aba, Abia State gave testified in court on Thursday saying that he shouted for help when he was attacked and his son taken away.
The six-year-old boy Chigozim was kidnapped and taken to Aba, Abia State and sold to a Catholic nun but was later found in motherless babies’ home run by a Catholic nun.
Testifying, Mr Chidiebere Ogbogu said he shouted for help and a neighbour took him to Iwofe Police Station and later Mile I Hospital for treatment saying he was shot on the shoulder by the robbers.
He was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel.
The defendants who were in court on Thursday face three counts of armed robbery, kidnapping and child stealing.
The case between the Rivers State government and the defendants is before the High Court presided by Honourable Justice S.H. Aprioku.
First defendant Promise Thompson and second and third defendants Queen Lucky and Lucky Nwakama were in prison uniform on Thursday.
The father of the six-year-old said the attackers took his two phones and called to demand ransom.
Ogbogu said that the kidnappers demanded fifteen million naira (N15m) but had reduced the amount to five hundred thousand naira (N500,000).
He told the court that they were warned not to involve police saying they had threatened to kill his son if they involved police.
The kidnappers told them to bring the money somewhere in Ogoni and they were to come alone, the court heard.
The father of the six-year-old said his brother had gone to the location and paid sum of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000) to the kidnappers for the release of his son.
He told the court they later demanded sum of three hundred thousand naira (N300,000) saying he paid sum of one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) yet his son was not released.
He said that he decided to involve police when he saw the kidnappers did not bring back his son, saying the police had invited him and his wife and got information concerning his phone and contact number.
He said that the police recovered one of his phones and arrested the first defendant and asked him to confirm if he was the one who had carried out the attack.
The judge declined to grant bail and said that the case would have accelerated hearing.
The defence counsels had applied for bail but the judge refused to grant the applications.
The father of the six-year-old previously said he got back his son in April 2019 months after he was kidnapped, on Trans-Kalabari Road, Iwofe, on October 25, 2018.
The case was adjourned to 15, 21 and 22 April for further trial.
