A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has remanded a 75-year-old man, Sunday Muoghalu, in prison for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl put in his custody.
The teenager, who was recently delivered of a baby after being allegedly impregnated by the suspect, was rescued by the state Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.
Muoghalu, who resided at Umuoruka village, Awka, Anambra State, was on Wednesday brought before the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court, Awka, presided over by Chief Magistrate Genevieve Osakwe.
He was arraigned on three counts of defilement, carnal knowledge, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse.
Ruling on the bail application by the defence counsel, the presiding court said the rate of rape and defilement of minors in the state was alarming, adding that the defendant was old enough to be the grandfather of the complainant.
The chief magistrate stated that although the counsel for the defendant sought bail on the grounds that Muoghalu had acute diabetes and hypertension, he failed to present any medical report or hospital extract to that effect.
The court refused the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison, while urging the prosecuting counsel to forward the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the state Ministry of Justice to enable it to file information before the High Court.
