Man, 65, Docked For Defiling Neighbour’s Girl, 8 & Causing Swollen Private Part
KINGSLEY EBERE
A 65-year old man, Joseph Nwankwo, has been arrested and charged in Anambra State for allegedly defiling his neighbour’s 8-year old girl.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened on 28th December, 2024, at Ekwulobia in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
He was arraigned by the Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Offences Court in Awka, on one-count charge of defilement under the Criminal Laws of the State.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector, Chinyere Okechukwu, told the Court that the victim’s mother said her daughter complained of waist pain. She checked and discovered that her daughter’s vagina was swollen.
“After medical examination and enquiry at the General Hospital Ekwulobia, a medical practitioner confirm that the girl had been defiled.”
“The eight-year old however, opened up and said that the defendant has been having sex with her” she said.
The prosecutor, Inspector Okechukwu, said the offence contravened Section 130(2) (a) (b) of the Administration Criminal Justice Law 2022, which attracts several years of imprisonment if he was tried and found guilty before Court.
She prayed the Court to remand the suspect at a Correctional facility and refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
However, he pleaded not guilty.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. U.E. Onochie, ordered that the accused be remanded at the Awka Correctional facility pending advice by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned till 12th March, 2025, for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be ready, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
