AN ABAKALIKI Magistrate Court on Tuesday remanded a cleric, Onyeagoziri Ndubueze, in Abakaliki Correctional Centre for alleged sexual abuse of a 22-year-old female member of his church, which was not named.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Nike Chima, ordered the cleric’s remand after the magistrate rejected the bail application by the Defence Counsel, Mr Friday Agbom.
The magistrate told Agbom that the court could not grant Ndubueze bail because the court lacked the jurisdiction to handle the case
Chima subsequently ordered that the case file should be transferred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
The magistrate adjourned the case until Nov.4 for hearing.
Ndubueze, who was arraigned by the police, is facing a four-count charge bothering on threats to life, falsehood, fraudulent act and circulation of pornographic photos of the girl.
The Prosecutor, Catherine Ajibo alleged that the defendant, sometime in 2021 at Mile 50 Layout Abakaliki, did have unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl.
Ajibo alleged that the defendant obtained the consent of the girl by means of threats, falsehood and fraudulent means and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Vol.1, Law of Ebonyi State of Nigeria.
She said that the offence was also punishable under Section 20 (1) of Ebonyi State Violence Against Persons Prohibition law 2024 as amended. (NAN)
