AISHA ABUBAKAR
A 38-year old farmer, Timothy Sunday, has been arrested and charged in Kaduna State for allegedly luring his neighbour’s 8-year old girl and defiling her in the process.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Kafanchan area of Kaduna State, where they reside.
The suspect was alleged to have lured the victim into his apartment and forcefully engaged her in sex. The victim reported what happened to her parents, who then reported the matter to the Police for prosecution.
He was consequently arrested and charged before the Kafanchan Magistrate Court for defilement under the penal code.
The arrest followed a report to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, NSCDC, who charged him on the alleged offence which contrary to the provision of Section 257 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law.
The Presiding Magistrate, Michael Bawa, declined to take the defendant’s plea for lack of jurisdiction to hear the matter but ordered his remand in custody and directed the prosecutor to forward duplicate copies of the case file to the State Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned till 26th September, 2024, for the mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to the ready, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
At the Court, the NSCDC prosecutor, Mr. Marcus Audu, told the Court that the complainant, Judith Jonathan, reported the matter at the corps’ office in Kafanchan on 8th August, 2024 and stated that Mr. Sunday lured the complainant’s daughter into his room and defiled her.
He said the victim was taken to the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Kafanchan, for a medical examination where it was confirmed that she was defiled by the defendant, whom she had mentioned to have done so.