A 65-year-old woman, Ngozi Muotuanya, who allegedly stole a five-year-old boy, was on Thursday, brought before the state’s Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Offences Court in Awka.
The defendant, who hails from
Okuzu Mbana community in Oba, pleaded not guilty to the charge of child stealing.
Insp Chinyere Okechukwu, the prosecutor, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in May 2024, at Umuogali village, Oba, in Idemili South Local Government Area.

Okechukwu said that Muotuanya forcefully separated and isolated the five-year-old boy from his family.
“And the offence is punishable under section 15(1) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Law of Anambra State of Nigeria, 2017,” she said.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs U.E. Onochie, granted the defendant bail in the sum of one million Naira with a surety in like sum.
Onochie adjourned the case to Oct. 15 for trial.