A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital has ordered the remand of a 29-year-old Chikodili Igboji, for allegedly raping a 50-year-old widow, Chinyere Igwe.
Igboji was remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional facility following a one-count charge of sexual assault brought against him.
He was said to have allegedly committed the act on October 5 2023 at Udenyi village, Izzo Imoha, in the Ezza North local government area of the State.
The trial Magistrate, Magistrate Chinedu Agama had during the trial turned down the defendant’s request for bail and thereafter issued an order for his remand.
Igboji pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him in court. Counsel to the defendant, Francis Nwelom, argued the defendant’s innocence to the crime but the prosecuting counsel, Insp. Stanley Ngene objected to the bail request and asked the court to remand the defendant.
Ngene informed the court that the crime is punishable by section 358 of the 2009 Ebonyi State of Nigeria’s CAP 33 vol. 1 statutes, criminal code.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the court session, the victim who is a mother of six said that the defendant had come to her home at night carrying a knife.
“He walked into my room at night, woke me up from sleep, grabbed me and threatened to murder me if I said anything.
“I was afraid and started shivering. I managed to ask him, what was my offence? I pleaded with him to have mercy on me that I have no husband and I have six children.
”He pushed me down and raped me. He didn’t stop at that, he still went ahead to collect my phone and my hard-earned N20,000, she added.
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