A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo state has remanded a man identified as James Emmanuel, for allegedly raping a 55-year-old woman, Mrs Deborah Abiodun, to death.
It was gathered that the 35-year-old man was apprehended by the Ondo state police command for allegedly killing the woman who was his colleague at the Oke-Odu Area, of Akure on 17 January, 2024.
Reports say that after the accused allegedly raped the woman, he hit her head with a stone and trashed her lifeless body inside a waste pit.
James was eventually charged to court and arraigned on two-count bordering on murder and rape.
Meanwhile, during the proceeding, the police prosecutor, Anwana Josephine, informed the court that the offence, which is contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006 was committed by the suspect on January 17, 2024 at about 11.00pm.
The charge read in parts;
“That you, James Emmanuel, ‘m’, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did kill one Deborah Abiodun ‘F’ by hitting her with a stone on her head and dumping 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.”
Ruling on the matter, the Chief Magistrate, F.A. Aduroja, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the correctional center in Ondo town and adjourned the trial for March 27, 2024.
