By Our correspondent
Cases of defilement are alarmingly on the rise in Anambra State, with two recent cases resulting in the remand of a 65-year-old man and a 26-year-old bricklayer.
The 65-year-old suspect, Joseph Nwankwo, allegedly defiled an eight-year-old girl in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area, on December 28, 2024.
The girl’s mother reported the incident after her daughter complained of waist pain, leading to a medical examination that confirmed the defilement.
According to the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Chinyere Okechukwu, “The complainant who is the mother of the eight-year-old girl said her daughter complained of waist pain.
She checked and discovered that her daughter’s vaginal was swollen. After medical examination and enquiry at the General Hospital Ekwulobia, a medical practitioner confirmed that the girl had been defiled.”
Okechukwu further stated that “The eight-year-old however, opened up and said that the defendant had been having sex with her.”
The accused, Joseph Nwankwo, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of defilement.
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 (DPP).
Onochie adjourned the case until March 12 for report of compliance.
In a separate case, 26-year-old Samuel Atisi, a bricklayer, was remanded for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old girl in Nibo, Awka South Local Government Area, sometime in November 2024.
The victim’s father reported the incident on February 8, stating that Atisi had carnal knowledge of his daughter, resulting in pregnancy.
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Innocent Agu, “On Feb. 8, the father of the 15-year-old girl reported a case of defilement at the police station.
He said that the defendant had canal knowledge of his daughter sometime in November 2024 which led to pregnancy as confirmed by a medical practitioner at the Police Clinic, Awka.”
Atisi pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of defilement.
The magistrate, Mrs. U.E. Onochie ordered the remand of Atisi after his arraignment and adjourned the case until March 19 for Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP’s) advice.
Both cases contravene Section 130(2) (a) (b) of the Administration Criminal Justice Law 2022.
