The Ebonyi State High Court sitting in Abakaliki has sentenced two men, Kelechi Iloke and Ikpere Kingsley, to death by hanging after finding them guilty of kidnapping a two-year-old boy and selling him for ₦500,000.
The judgment followed their involvement in the disappearance of Benjamin, a two-year-old child who was allegedly taken from his parents’ residence in Ndufu Amuzu community, Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on August 23, 2020.
According to the court records, Iloke, the son of the child’s landlord, allegedly lured Benjamin and his elder sister out of their home under the pretence of buying biscuits for them. While the girl returned home, Benjamin was not brought back.
The prosecution revealed that after the child went missing, investigations led to Iloke’s arrest. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to handing Benjamin over to Kingsley Ikpere, who later took the child to Nkalagu community in Ishielu Local Government Area, where he sold him to an individual identified as OG for ₦500,000.
Ikpere was later arrested in January 2021 and admitted to receiving the child and selling him. He reportedly received ₦150,000 upfront, with a promise of receiving the remaining balance later.
Delivering judgment, Justice Chinyere Ken-Eze found both defendants guilty of kidnapping and imposed the death sentence.
The prosecution counsel, Ijeoma Mike-Ajanwachukwu, described the ruling as a significant step toward justice and urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant in protecting children.
She explained that despite the conviction, efforts to locate the missing child, Benjamin, have not yielded results.
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