A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Oke-eda, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, has ordered the remand of a 35-year-old man, James Emmanuel, for allegedly raping a 55-year-old woman, Mrs Deborah Abiodun, to death.
The accused, Emmanuel, was arraigned before Magistrate F.A. Aduroja on two counts bordering on murder and rape and was remanded into prison custody in Ondo town.
Police Prosecutor, Inspector Anwana Josephine, told the court that the suspect committed the offence on the 17th day of January 2024, at about 11 p.m., an offence contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The charge sheet read: “That you James Emmanuel ‘m’ on the 17th day of January 2024, at about 11.00 p.m. at Ilere, on Ijare Road, Akure in the Akure Magisterial District, did rape Deborah Abiodun ‘f’ aged 55 years old and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
That you James Emmanuel ‘m’ on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned Magisterai District did kill one Deborah Abiodun ‘T’ by hitting her with a stone on her head and dumped her corpse inside a waste pit and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006”.
He explained that the defendant, who is a co-worker of the deceased, committed the alleged offence at a poultry farm located in the Oke-Odu area, off Ilere, on Ijare Road, Akure.
He explained that Emmanuel, after raping the 56-year-old woman to death, hit her with a stone on the head and dumped her corpse inside a waste pit.
Meanwhile, Magistrate F.A. Aduroja, in her ruling, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Correctional Centre in Ondo town and adjourned till March 27, 2024.