In an Abakaliki Chief Magistrate Court ruling, 29-year-old Chikodili Igboji, who stands accused of raping 50-year-old widow Mrs. Chinyere Igwe, has been ordered to be remanded in a correctional facility.
The Magistrate, Chinedu Agama-Agama, issued the remand order on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, rejecting Igboji's plea for bail. Igboji faces a single charge of sexual assault, allegedly perpetrated on October 5 in Udenyi village, Izzo Imoha, within the Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi.
Upon the reading of the charge in court, Igboji entered a plea of not guilty. His attorney, Francis Nwelom, asserted his client's innocence during the bail application.
Contrarily, Insp. Stanley Ngene, the prosecution attorney, opposed the bail plea, urging the court to remand the defendant. Ngene pointed out that the alleged crime falls under the provisions of section 358 of the 2009 Ebonyi State of Nigeria’s CAP 33 vol. 1 statutes, criminal code.
After the court proceedings, the victim, a mother of six, spoke to reporters about her harrowing experience. She recounted that the accused had entered her home at night brandishing a knife. The victim explained how the assailant forcibly woke her, threatened her with harm, and proceeded to commit the assault.
"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. Please. He pushed me, raped me, and went away with my phone and my hard-earned N20, 000," she recounted.
As a farmer, the victim emphasized her desire for justice and implored the court to ensure that the defendant faces the consequences of his actions.
"I am begging the court to ensure that the defendant suffers in prison. He should receive his punishment accordingly," she pleaded.
Additionally, the widow appealed to the government, particularly Governor Francis Nwifuru, and well-meaning individuals to come to her aid, highlighting that her children have been unable to attend school due to the crisis in her Ezza-Effium community.
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