Court Remands Four Men For Raping 15-Year-Old Girl In Imo

An Owerri Magistrate’s Court in Imo State has ordered the remand of four men accused of raping and hurting a 15-year-old girl’s private parts.

Amarachi Nwodo, 39, David Ajuka, 22, Chima Uwandu, 43, and Osinachi Okoro, 29, are the alleged rapists.

On Thursday, August 3, 2023, the Chief Magistrate, Obinna Njemanze, ruled that the suspects be remanded at the Owerri Correctional Centre.

The chief magistrate, who had previously declined jurisdiction based on constitutional powers to begin trial on the subject, denied the defendants’ counsels’ oral bail motions, U. S Nnadozie and G. O Anyalebechi, respectively.

The prosecution Counsel, B. C Iwu, who objected to the bail petitions, stated that the victim was suffering from a life-threatening ailment as a result of the defilement and that the defendants did not reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

Iwu requested that the chief magistrate examine the gravity of the defendant’s crimes and refuse them bail.

He claimed that if the accused were granted bail, they would flee, obstructing the will of justice.

The jurist denied the accused bail and ordered them to be held at the Owerri Correctional Centre.

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He directed that the case file be sent to the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions for possible prosecution of the defendants.

The chief magistrate dismissed counts five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten before ordering the defendants’ confinement in jail custody until August 17, 2023.

C. O Iwunna, state secretary of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, who announced the defendants’ attendance, also rejected the bail applications made by the counsels.

Their counts read “that you, Amarachi Nwodo ‘m’ on the 8” day of November 2022 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did rape one Chiamaka Okehe ‘f age 15 years, with her consent obtained by force, threat, intimidation and fear of harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. “C38” Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State.

“That you, David Ajuka ‘m’ on the 10th day of January 2023 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did rape one Chiamaka Okehe ‘f age 15 years, with her consent obtained by force, threat, intimidation and fear of harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. “C38” Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State.

“That you, Chima Uwandu ‘m’ on the 1Oth day of March 2023 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did rape one Chiamaka Okehe ‘ age 15 years, with her consent obtained by force, threat, intimidation and fear of harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. “C38” Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State.

“That you, Osinachi Okoro ‘m’ on the 21 days of March 2023 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did rape one Chiamaka Okehe f age 15 years, with her consent obtained by force, threat, intimidation and fear of harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. “C38” Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State.

“That you, Amarachi Nwodo ‘mn’ on the 8th day of November 2023 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did have unlawful carnal knowledge of one Chiamaka Okehe f age 15 years and thereby committed punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Code Cap. “C38” Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Imo State.

“That you, Amarachi Nwodo m’, David Ajuka ‘m’, Chima Uwandu m’ and Osinachi Okoro ‘m’ between the month of November 2022 and March 2023 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did unlawfully and indecently assaulted one Chiamaka Okehe f aged 15yrs and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 360 of the Criminal code, Cap. “C38, Laws of the Federal of Nigeria, 2004 as applicable in
Imo State.

“That you, Amarachi Nwodo ‘m’, David Ajuka ‘m’, Chima Uwandu ‘m’ and Osinachi Okoro ‘m’ between the month of November 2022 and March 2023 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: Grievous Assault and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap “C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 as applicable in Imo State.

“That you, Amarachi Nwodo ‘m’, David Ajuka ‘m’, Chima Uwandu m’ and Osinachi Okoro, on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Chlamaka Okehe ‘f by continuously having sex with her, which caused her harm in her vagina and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code cap “C38” Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 applicable in Imo
State.

“That you, Nwodo ‘m’, David Aiuka ‘m’, Chima Uwandu, March 2023 at Amaraku, triable in the Owerri Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a misdemeanour to wit: threatening violence and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code, Cap. “C38”, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 as applicable in Imo State.

“That you, Amarachi Nwodo ‘m’, David Ajuka ‘m’, Chima Uwandu ‘m’ and Osinachi Okoro ‘m’, on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace, by threatening one Chiamaka Okehe ‘f not to disclose to anyone that you have been having unlawful carnal knowledge of her or else you will kill her and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 86(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. “C38”, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 as applicable in Imo State.”