- In recent times, there has been upsurge in cases of rape, child defilement in the South East of Nigeria
- Anambra state women affairs ministry wades into the menace, apprehends, hand over the suspects to police
- Enugu based legal practitioner suggest life imprisonment for the convicts
For some months now, there has been upsurge in reported cases of child defilement and rape in the South east zone of the country.
WITHIN NIGERIA findings showed that this astronomical increase is not unconnected with the high rate of alcoholic intake and ritual involvement in the zone.
However, despite all the efforts by the security agents to curb this menace, it has continued to increase in geometric proportion.
In any case, on August 30, 2024 Anambra State Government arrested a 30 year old Chinonso Ezekiel Nwaebonyi for defiling a 7 year old girl in Awka.
The suspect who hails from Izzi in Ebonyi state was captured after the mother of the 7 year old survivor reported the incident to the ministry of women affairs in the state.
According to the 7 year old, she, alongside her twin brother, usually goes over to the next compound to play since the holiday started before the suspect started defiling her. She stated that the suspect has had carnal knowledge of her for about 5 times of which was always on Mondays and Tuesdays.
On how the mother got to know of the incident, the 7 year old’s mother of the survivor explained that she came back from work to bathe her kids and discovered that her daughter’s private region was swollen.
On enquiry, she was briefed of what has been going on and she quickly went to the next compound to complain to the guardians of the suspect after which she took her daughter to a pharmacy before coming to the ministry.
Meanwhile, the suspect, who had earlier denied the allegation, later confessed to committing the said crime but only once.
According to the 30 year old, he never forced the girl but only asked her to raise her clothes and lie down on the ground.
As at the time of writing this report, the suspect has been handed over to the police where he will be interrogated and charged to court.
Nevertheless, this is coming few weeks after on August 13, the State Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, apprehended a 34 year old Chukwudi Okoye for defiling a ten year old girl in Amanuke.
This incident, which occurred sometime in July, was brought to the notice of the Honourable Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo in August.
The suspect, Chukwudi Okoye, 34 native of Enugwu-Agidi but resident at Amanuke, said he only fingered the survivor because his manhood could not enter her private part.
According to the 34 year old suspect, he never intended to do such a despicable act but was lured into it when the 10 year old was lured into his bed. Although he denied penetrating the girl, he at the same time pleaded for pardon because it was the work of the devil according to him.
The suspect is said to be a seminarian in the Anglican Communion in Amanuke.
Meanwhile, the 10 year old survivor stated that she was defiled on the day of her graduation ceremony when the suspect called her alongside her friend to come and wash plate for him.
She explained that after she had finished washing the plate, he discharged her friend and asked her to play with him before taking her to the bed where he removed her clothes and had carnal knowledge of her.
On why she didn’t tell anyone of the incident, the little girl said that she was seriously warned by the suspect never to tell anyone or he would deal with her.
On her part, the grandmother of the survivor said that she only got to know of the incident after the girl became seriously ill, which was one week after the incident.
She explained that she took her granddaughter to the suspect’s house after she learned that he was responsible for the issue and it was because she refused to go that the suspect decided to take her child to the hospital where they were subsequently referred to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital Amaku Awka for further treatment.
In any case, the suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation and consequently charged the case to court.
In Imo state, the story is still the same as on August 7,2024 Justice T. N . Nzeukwu of the Imo State High Court has convicted and sentenced a pastor, Desmond Eke, to eight years imprisonment for raping his church member’s wife.
Eke, the founder of Deliverance Ministry of the Good Shepherd, Umuehieta Avu, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State was found guilty of taking advantage of the woman who had vested so much trust in him.
The convict was tried on three counts that bordered on raping the victim who is also a member of his church and administering a stupefying substance on his victim which made her dizzy and weak.
According to the prosecution counsel, Chioma Emuka, it was while in the dizzy state that Eke took advantage of the woman who woke up to consciousness while he was still inside her.0
Emuka said, “On inquiry on why he had to violate her, the pastor told the 25-year-old woman that his semen is holy enough to deliver her of the marine spirit that was disturbing her.”
While delivering the judgment, Justice Nzeukwu held that Eke was guilty of the offences preferred against him.
The judge convicted Eke on count two of the charge of breaching trust and raping the woman but discharged him on the third count which bordered on inflicting injuries during the rape.
“Since the woman was not completely conscious during the incident, there was no way injuries could result since there was no resistance,“ Justice Nzeukwu held.
Before the sentence, the defence counsel pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy that his client had been of good behaviour having been present in court throughout the trial without jumping bail.
He pleaded that instead of a full sentence, his client should be put on probation.
It was gathered that this is the first case to be prosecuted under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act in the state.
WITHIN NIGERIA findings showed that a civil society organisation, Onurube, reported the matter and followed it up to its logical end.
Speaking on the case, the convener of Onurube, Marjorie Ezihe, lauded the court for convicting the pastor.
Enugu state is also not left out in this immoral act as on May 16, the Police arrested three people suspected of sexually defiling a three-year-old child in the state.
The arrest is said to be part of an ongoing investigation into the defilement of the girl, who is a pupil of Tenderlink School, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu.
The spokesman of the Enugu Police Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed that those arrested and facing interrogation, including a teacher in the school and two others.
According to Ndukwe, “Preliminary investigation showed that the child (name withheld) was found to have been sexually defiled, with physical injuries and patches of blood observed on her private part, after the school bus dropped her at home.
“This is in addition to the receipt of similar complaints by parents of other children in the school.
“Three suspects, comprising the victim’s female teacher, the school’s bus attendant and driver have been arrested for interrogation,” he said.
Ndukwe added that the Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, appreciated the state government’s decision to close the school pending when the investigation would be concluded.
He further assured that anyone found culpable would face the full wrath of the law.
Ebonyi state also shared in this dastardly act as in March, 2024 an Abakaliki Magistrates’ Court on ordered the remand of two men for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old girl in Ebonyi.
It was gathered that the police charged Okpara Chidiebere, 36, Nwali Joseph, 37 with conspiracy and defilement.
Magistrate Lillian Ogodo did not take the plea of the suspects for want in jurisdiction. She also rejected the bail application moved by the Defence Counsel.
Ogodo ordered they should be remanded in Abakaliki Correctional Centre, as the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the charges.
She adjourned the case until April 5 for the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.
Earlier, ASP Eze Ndubuaku, the Prosecutor Counsel informed the court that Chidiebere committed the offence on February 18 in Ugwuachara, Ebonyi local government area of the state.
Ndubuaku, also explained that Joseph committed the offence sometime in November 2023, at his salon, Police Junction, Ugwuachara in the area.
He pointed out that the offences are punishable under section 4 (2) (1) VAPP Laws of Ebonyi 2018.
Mr Emeka Odom, Defence Counsel prayed the court to grant his client bail, noting that bail remains a constitutional matter.
Nevertheless, Anambra state seemed to be more engulfed with this evil act as on June 27, an 65- year old pastor, Mr. Francis Ogwu was arrested and subsequently handed over to the police for defiling his seven year old domestic help in Awka.
The suspect Ogwu was arrested following an alarm raised by concerned residents of the town.
The suspect identified as Mr. Francis Ọgwụ, from Imo State, is a pastor and general overseer of Jesus House of Joy Church, Awka, but has lived with his wife and children in Anambra for over 30 years.
Mr. Ọgwụ confessed to the Honourable Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, that he “just fingered the girl once” and denied other allegations of penetration as against what the seven year old victim said.
On why he defiled the child, the suspect explained that he was tempted because his wife usually gives excuses that she’s fasting whenever he wants to have quality time with her.
Meanwhile, the seven year old survivor who narrated her side of the story told the Honourable Commissioner that her guardian Mr Ogwu has had carnal knowledge of her three times of which he usually gives her money ranging from 500 naira to one thousand naira after each experience.
She also said that at some point, she was accused by her guardian’s wife of snatching the husband from her revealing that what prompted her to leave was the beating she got by the suspect’s daughter over irrelevant issue.
Speaking, the mother of the victim, a native of Awka, Destiny Nwabueze, stated that she handed the daughter over to the Ogwu family due to the relationship they’ve had over time but was shocked when her daughter returned to her and told her of the development.
She revealed that she quickly called the suspect, who upon arrival denied the allegations, which prompted her to involve other persons by raising alarm.
Reacting to the ugly incident, the Women and Social Welfare Boss, Obinabo vowed to see that the seven year old gets the deserved justice and advised women to always be vigilant and stop sex starving their husband as that could lead to bad behaviors of some men.
Hon Obinabo, who charged women to always protect their girl child at all cost, noted that defilement is no longer excusable in Anambra State.
Also on June 29,Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, has arrested a 51 year old Unegbu John Chika for defiling a 14 year old girl in Isuofia, Aguata local government area of the state.
The arrest that took place in Isuofia was after a whistle blower tipped off the Women Affairs Commissioner, Hon Ify Obinabo, on his observations.
Interviewing the suspect, John, a Transporter who plys the Ekwulobia – Oko route, he accepted to defiling the girl and pleaded for pardon saying that he was tempted by the devil.
The 51 year old suspect resident at Isiaku Isuofia but hails from Owerri, Imo State, also said that the act was due to the death of his wife and a mistake which he regrets deeply.
Meanwhile, the survivor, a 14 year old said she started living with the man in 2018 when she was 8 years old, and shortly after, in 2019, he started defiling her.
The 14 year old survivor revealed that he usually has his way during weekends and holiday periods and that he became more at ease with the act after the death of his wife.
On why she never told anyone, she explained that the suspect after each act tells her to keep it a secret, and ever since then, she’s kept it that way till help came.
Speaking immediately after interviewing the suspect, Hon Obinabo thanked the Isuofia People’s assembly leadership for their prompt response in apprehending the suspect before her arrival and stated that defilement and rape crimes are not tolerated in the state.
Obinabo went on to urge citizens of the state to be on the lookout for any suspicious act, movement or otherwise and report to the appropriate authority assuring that the state government will not hesitate to take action.
The suspect was later handed over to the police for further investigation and consequently arraign him before the Children, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Magistrate court in Awka while the survivor will undergo medical examination.
Before the above incident could die down, on July 25, a 41 year old Nwalobi Fredrick from Ebonyi state, but resident in Ekwulobia admitted to Impregnating his 16 year old in-law.
This was after the family of the 16 year old reported the incident at the office of the Women and Social Welfare Commissioner in Awka.
Mr Nwalobi, an artisan in Ekwulobia, blamed the devil for the crime.
Contrary to what the suspect had earlier told the Commissioner, the 16 year old girl stated that the incident started after she was kept in her in-law’s care late January to enable her finish her secondary education since the demise of her mother.
She explained that it was just a day after settling in his house that Mr Nwalobi first had carnal knowledge of her and ever since has been having his way with her body.
Upon further interrogation, she revealed that she’s already four months gone, and ever since she became pregnant, her in-law has refused to take responsibility for putting her in a family way.
Meanwhile, the 41 year old suspect, who remarried in April after the death of his first wife, says he doesn’t have money to take care of the girl since he now has his own family.
On her part, the women and social welfare Commissioner, Hon Ify Obinabo, despite the suspects plea, handed him over to the Ekwulobia Divisional police for further investigation.
However, in a chat with an Enugu-based legal practitioner, Barr. Daniel Ogbe, he stated that, “actually the issue of child defilement has been on the increase in this country. It is an embarrassment because the life of these children being defiled are destroyed from the word go which relatively affect them even when they become adult. Rape is a very grievous offence.”
On the punishment to be meted out on the culprit, he suggested that the convict should face life imprisonment.
Barr. Ogbe equally advised the parents to always be on the guard of their female children to know when such issue may crop up.