A Chief Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt has remanded a
19-year-old SS3 dropout, Ifedi Arinze, for allegedly defiling a five-year-old
girl.
The accused person allegedly had unlawful carnal knowledge
of the infant (names withheld) at about 6pm on July 5, around the Station area
of
Port Harcourt.
His charge was however not read out to him, just as he was
not given the opportunity to take plea of the one count charge preferred
against him.
Remanding the hawker, the trial magistrate noted that plea
was not taken in the charge because the court has no jurisdiction to hear the
matter.
He ordered that the case file be sent to the office of the
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal
advice; but informed the suspect of his right to go to the
High Court to apply for bail.
Earlier, the trial magistrate, Mr. I.F. Iyiabo, had informed
the accused person that the punishment for the offence he was charged with, if
found guilty, was live imprisonment and that magistrate courts lack the powers
to entertain such matters.
Interrogating the accused person by the court, the
Ebonyi State born Ifedi said he clam to Port Harcourt to
'hustle' for the money to register for the West African School Certificate
Examination (WASCE), having been allegedly abandoned by his father in SS3.
He said he was schooling in his native State, and is the
second child in a family of three.
Ifedi was not represented by any lawyer and the case was
adjourned to September 30 for mention.
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