The Edo State Special Criminal Court sitting in Benin on Thursday ordered the remand of a 28-year-old man, Kingsley Aliyu, in a correctional facility over allegations of kidnapping and rape.
Justice Terry Momodu gave the order after granting an ex parte application filed by the police prosecutor, Emmanuel Ekibade, seeking the defendant’s remand pending legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Edo State Ministry of Justice.
Ekibade urged the court to remand Aliyu for an initial period of 14 days while investigations and legal processes were concluded.
According to the prosecution, the defendant allegedly committed the offenses on June 6 at the Useh Community Forest within the Benin Judicial Division.
The prosecutor told the court that Aliyu allegedly attacked a 29-year-old woman with two long cutlasses and charms before forcibly having sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
He further alleged that the suspect abducted the woman, held her captive in the forest and demanded a ransom of N12 million before she was eventually rescued.
Ekibade said the two-count charge was brought under Section 7(1) of the Kidnapping Prohibition (Amendment) Law of Edo State, 2025, as well as Section 4(1), punishable under Section 5(1) of the same law.
After considering the application, Justice Momodu granted the prosecution’s request and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional center pending legal advice from the DPP.
The matter was adjourned until July 15 for further proceedings.
