The Ebonyi State Police Command on Friday arraigned a 45- year -old man, Christopher Ebenyi, for allegedly defiling a five -year – old pupil in Ebonyi State .
The defendant was said to have gone to the victim’ s house to sell some immune booster drugs to her mother , when the incident took place .
The victim ’ s mother was said to have gone out to buy some items when Ebenyi allegedly took advantage of the girl .
The mother , who spoke to
PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity, said , “ The pastor came to our house to sell some drugs to me . Before he came , I had it in mind to get some things for the house. So , I left him and my daughter to go and buy those things.
“ When I got back home, I saw the pastor inserting his fingers in my daughter ’ s private parts . I shouted and he said it was the devil . I called people, who came around and beat him up . Eventually, he was arrested. ”
The defendant confessed to the crime .
In his confessional statement , he said , “ I am Pastor Christopher Ebenyi . I am from Eziulo in the Ishielu Local Government Area. I know the victim at Convent in Abakaliki. I got to their house and called her; she came and I touched her private parts . ”
He was arraigned on one count of indecent assault before the magistrate ’ s court .
The police prosecutor , ASP Mathias Eze , told the court that the offence was punishable under Section 222 of the Criminal Code , Cap . 33, Vol 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria , 2009.
The charge read , “ That you , Christopher Ebenyi , on December 15, 2020, on Nsi Road, Abakaliki, in the Abakaliki Magisterial District , did finger the vagina of one ( name withheld) aged five , thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 222 of the Criminal Code , Cap . 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria , 2009. ”
The counsel for the defendant, C. F . Ogbonnaya , applied for his bail, which the prosecuting counsel opposed on the grounds that he might run away.
The Chief Magistrate , Mrs Nnenna Onuoha, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N 50, 000 with one surety in like sum.
According to Onuoha , the defendant must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court .
She adjourned the matter till January 28, 2021, for trial.
