. Girl confessed to have been having a fling with suspects- Eye witness
. We’ve conducted medical tests on victim, suspects- Police
…as court remands accused persons in prison
By AGNES IGWE, Abakaliki
A retired deputy superintendent of police, Mr. Christopher Idam, and his friend, identified as Mr. Uka Chukwu have allegedly defiled a ten-year-old primary school pupil at Amasiri-Amakpu in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Our correspondent gathered from impeccable sources that the 65-year-old retired police officer and his friend, Chukwu, 52, had been collaborating in their nefarious paedophilic act of luring and defiling the minor over a period of time until recently when the girl’s mother caught them pants down.
INCIDENT RESULTING IN THE SHOCKING DISCOVERY
The bubble burst recently when, it was learnt, the minor simply identified as Amarachi, was sent by her mother to hawk cow skin meat, popularly known as ‘kanda,’ in the neighbourhood and in the process, she again came in contact with the suspects, who lured her into the retired police officer’s room for sex, as usual.
Already, the police in Ebonyi State have arrested both Idam and his friend, Chukwu, and they are currently being detained for defiling the primary school pupil.
According to a family source, when the victim’s mother waited for several hours for her daughter to return home and she didn’t see her, she launched a frantic search for the girl.
The search for her missing daughter was said to have eventually led her to the home of the retired police officer.
MOTHER CATCHES SUSPECTS, MISSING DAUGHTER IN THE ACT
But the event took a dramatic turn when the mother of the victim immediately raised the alarm, having peeped through the window and shockingly discovered that her missing daughter was in the police officer’s apartment, where she was being sexually assaulted by the retired DSP and his friend, who she allegedly saw taking turns with the minor.
The victim’s mother’s alarm attracted neighbours of the ex-DSP, and passersby, who intervened and stopped the two suspects from escaping from the scene of the alleged crime.
The angry residents of the area had gathered and threatened to mob the two men, but the police from Amankpo-Amasiri soon arrived at the scene to save them from being lynched and immediately whisked away the two suspects to their station.
SHE CONFESSED TO HAVE BEEN HAVING A FLING WITH SUSPECTS- EYE WITNESS
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent, “When the victim was queried, she revealed that the retired police officer and her friend, Uka Chukwu, had been in the habit of luring her into their house with money to sleep with her. She confessed that it had been a routine between her and the two men. And after the girl confessed, the suspects were handed over to the police for investigation.
“They are now being accused of defiling the 10-year-old girl. She is on holiday with her mother here.”
WE’VE CONDUCTED MEDICAL TESTS ON VICTIM, SUSPECTS, STILL HOLDING THEM IN CUSTODY- POLICE
When contacted, the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, Loveth Odah, confirmed the incident and stressed that police detectives were already investigating the case.
Odah, who is a deputy superintendent of police, added that the suspects had been transferred to the police headquarters, where they had already made some confessional statements regarding the alleged offence.
The PPRO further disclosed that the police had conducted medical examinations on both the victim and the two suspects to ascertain the veracity of the alleged crime.
She further said that the victim and the two suspected men had been transferred to the state police command headquarters while the result of the medical examinations were being awaited.
“The suspects were arrested; police medical performer was served accordingly for medical report. And the parties have been transferred to the police headquarters for further investigation,” she said.
SUSPECTS ARRAIGNED IN COURT, REMANDED IN PRISON
Meanwhile, the police in Ebonyi have arraigned the two suspects before an Abaliki Magistrate’s court for defiling the minor.
The suspects were arraigned on a two-count charge bearing on having sexual intercourse with the minor at different times and places.
According to the prosecution, the retired police officer had his turn with the minor on August 18, 2019 at Amachara Ezeke Amasiri, while his friend, the second accused, had sex with the 10-year-old in an open shop at Orie Amasiri market sometime this year, while the minor was assisting her mother with the hawking of cow skin to augment the family’s finance during the ongoing holidays.
The accused, the prosecution further argued, had thereby committed offences punishable under Section 34 (2) of the Ebonyi State Child Rights Law and Related Matters 2010.
Presiding Chief Magistrate Nnenna Onuora, remanded the two accused persons in the custody of the Federal Prisons, Abakaliki, citing the court’s lack of competent jurisdiction to entertain such a matter.
The magistrate also ordered that all documents and evidence relating to the matter be forwarded to the state’s Director of Public Prosecution for further advice and adjourned the matter to a later date for a report of compliance at the high court.
