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Herbalist lures 17-year-old girl to Lagos Hotel for fortification against enemies, lands in court

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The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a herbalist for the alleged abduction of a 17-year-old girl in the Ajah area of Lagos State.

The herbalist, James Johnson, and his accomplice, 28-year-old Emmanuel Emmana, allegedly abducted the under false pretences of fortifying her against enemies.

Johnson, 22, was apprehended along with his accomplice, 28-year-old Emmanuel Emmana, at a hotel they reportedly used as their hideout in the neighbourhood.

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It was gathered that Johnson had approached the girl, Bilkis, at her mother’s shop in Akinyemi Market, Ajah, while he was hawking herbs.

He was said to have told Bilkis that he had a vision that some enemies were going after her and that she needed prayers to fortify herself against any spiritual attacks.

The suspect reportedly asked her to buy coconut and salt for the prayer which she quickly bought around the market.

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It was gathered that Johnson subsequently lured her to the hotel for the fortification. He was about to take her into the hotel when her neighbour, who was passing by, saw her and raised the alarm.

Our correspondent learnt that the case was reported to the police at the Elemoro division and Johnson was arrested on July 8, 2018. He led the operatives to apprehend Emmana.

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A woman, whom the suspects had defrauded on the same spurious vision, was at the hotel that day on an appointment with the suspects.

Johnson, an indigene of Ondo State, said he had carried out five fraudulent operations in the Ajah area before luck ran out on him.

He said,

“I started selling herbs in January 2018. Emmana later joined me and we hawked together. We made people to believe that we have spiritual powers. We have defrauded five persons. There was a woman I collected N30,000 from in May 2018. I took the woman to a village called Kosilu, Ogun State, to meet one man. I was planning to collect N1.5m from her for special prayers, but she later discovered that it was a fraud.”

Emmana, a native of Calabar, Cross River State, said Johnson introduced him to the fraud, adding he only got N9,500 share from the fraud proceeds.

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The suspects were consequently arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on three counts bordering on fraud and abduction.

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The police prosecutor, Sergeant Oluwafemi Adeleye, told the court that the offences contravened sections 130, 268 and 412 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

The charges read in part,

“That you, John Johnson and Emmanuel Emmana, on July 8, 2018, at about 10 am, at Ajah, Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit felony to wit; obtaining money under false pretences.

“That you on the same date time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did abduct one Bilkis, 17 years old, to New Star Hotel, Ajah, where you told her to buy coconut and salt for prayers with the aim of having sex with her and obtaining money from her, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 268 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.”

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty before the presiding magistrate, Mrs. F. M. Dalley, who granted them bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties each in the like sum.

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The case was adjourned till August 8, 2018 for mention.

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