A
Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja, on Monday remanded Rev. Fr. Anthony Ochigbo,
Parish priest of Church of Assumption, Asokoro, in police custody for alleged
rape of a 10-year-old girl.
Ochigbo was arraigned on a one-count charge of
rape.
The Upper Area court judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, adjourned the
case till Aug. 30 for ruling.
His counsel Godwin Chukwukere had applied for his bail pursuant
to sections 158, 162, 163 and 164 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act
(ACJA).
Chukwukere urged the
court to grant the defendant bail because he was still innocent until proven otherwise.
He
said even though the offence was not bailable, Section 162 gives the court wide
powers to grant bail in cases like this.
The
counsel urged the court to exercise its discretion in favour his client, adding
that the defendant was on administrative bail and would not jump bail if
granted.
The
prosecutor, John Ijagbemi, opposed the application, saying that the defendant
was not given administrative bail.
He urged the court to
discountenance the application and remand the defendant in custody.
Earlier,
Ijagbemi had told the court that Grace Ibong of Kuruduma village, Asokoro,
Abuja, reported the matter at the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, on Aug.
17.
He
said after a church programme in the said church, the defendant asked the
complainant to leave her 10-year-old and eight-year-old daughters to spend the
night with him, which she did.
He
further said when the complainant went back to the defendant’s house to pick
her children, she discovered an unusual movement from her 10-year-old daughter
on Aug. 15.
Ijagbemi
said when the complainant asked her daughter why she was moving unusually, the
victim said that the defendant forcefully had carnal knowledge of her without
her consent during the night.
He
said the offence contravened Section 283 of the Penal Code.
The
priest pleaded not guilty.
-NAN
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