A 29-year-old man named Chikodili Igboji was placed under arrest on Wednesday by an Abakaliki Chief Magistrate Court and placed in a correctional facility for the alleged rape of a 50-year-old widow.
The magistrate, Chinedu Agama-Agama, denied the defendant’s request for bail and instead ordered his remand.
A count of rape against Mr. Igboji is purportedly based on an incident that occurred on October 15 at Udenyi village, Izzo Imoha, in the Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
To the charge, he entered a not guilty plea.
Francis Nwelom, the defendant’s defense attorney, asked to grant the defendant bail, emphasizing his innocence.
However, the prosecution’s attorney, Stanley Ngene, a police inspector, contested the bail request and asked the judge to remand the accused.
Mr. 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 concerning the Criminal Code.
The mother of six children, the survivor, claimed that the defendant had arrived to her home at night carrying a knife as she was recounting her horror to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) following the court session.
She said that the defendant had woken her up from sleep, grabbed her, and threatened to kill her if she 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, raped me and went away with my phone and my hard-earned N20,000,” she said.
The survivor, a farmer, said she wants justice.
“I am begging the court to ensure that the defendant suffers in prison. He should receive his punishment, accordingly.
“I also want the government at all levels, particularly Governor Francis Nwifuru, as well as good-spirited individuals, to come to my aid.
“I am from the warring community of Ezza-Effium and my children have been out of school.
“We ran out of my own community due to the lingering communal crisis in the area,” she said.
(NAN)