RAPIST ESCAPES INTO EBONYI GOVERNMENT HOUSE

A 19-year-old man, Ojukwu Chika, on Tuesday, escaped while policemen were taking him for arraignment in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The suspect, our correspondent gathered, first appeared in court on Tuesday, for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl.

It was further gathered that he escaped into the premises of the Government House in Abakaliki and the policemen searched for him to no avail until another security personnel on duty inside Government House spotted him and handcuffed him.

The security personnel, it was learnt, demanded to know his mission and where he was headed for before handing him over to the police.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Edet Effiong, said the accused committed the offence for which he was to be first arraigned on October 16, 2019, at Umoghara village in the Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.

He was re-arraigned on Wednesday before the Abakaliki Magistrates’ Court on one count of unlawful escape from police custody.

According to the police prosecutor, the offence is punishable under Section 135 (a) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

The first charge read, “That you, Ojukwu Chika, on October 16, 2019, at Umoghara village in the Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, in the Abakaliki Magisterial District, did have an unlawful sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 34 (2) of the Ebonyi Child Right Law and Related Matters, 2010.”

The new charge read, “That you Chika Ojukwu, on October 29, 2019, at the Abakaliki Court gate in the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did unlawfully escape from police custody, while being taken to court for arraignment, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 135 (a) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”

The Chief Magistrate, Ruth Nwali, directed that the case file be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the state for necessary action.

She remanded the accused in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, and adjourned the matter till December 30, 2019, for hearing.