A 35-year-old man, Victor Joshua, has been remanded in prison custody by an Ebute-Metta magistrate’s court sitting at Oyingbo, Lagos State, southwest, Nigeria, for alleged attempted kidnap.
Victor, who hails from Cross River State, southsouth Nigeria, and claimed to be a newspaper vendor in Ikorodu, had attempted to kidnap a set of female twins who are two and half years old in front of their house at Okeriya, Ikorodu, Lagos, in the morning of 12 September, 2011.
The parents of the twins are Mr. and Mrs. Badmus Taoheed.
It was gathered that the twins were rescued by neighbours, who accosted the suspected kidnapper, who had already carried one on his shoulder and held the other by the hand.
Joshua lied that he was a friend of the father and was taking them to him.
The suspecting neighbours called the twins’ father on phone and he denied sending anyone to bring the children.
Victor was arrested and taken to court.
He was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit: kidnapping and unlawful attempt to kidnap.
The offences, according to the prosecuting police officer, Mr. Innocent Effiong, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, are punishable under Sections 227 and 365 of the Criminal Code Cap. C 17 Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs. C. T. Adesola-Ikpatt, admitted him to bail in the sum of N200,000, with two credible and reliable sureties.
The sureties, she also ordered, must show to the court tax clearance certificate for the last two years, indicate their means of livelihood and must be resident within the magisterial district.
She adjourned the case till 9 November, 2011, for mention, while a remand warrant was issued against the suspected kidnapper as he could not meet the bail condition before the court adjourned sitting.