A seventy-year-old
grandpa, Francis Ezomo and his two sons, who allegedly defiled her, have been
arraigned by the police at Evbuoriaria Magistrate Court in Edo State over an
alleged defilement of a 9-year-old minor.
This arraignment came after
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State intervened in the case of the minor.
The trio are facing two
count charges of conspiracy and defilement, Vanguard reports
Upon arrival in court, the
minor, who is now under the custody of Ministry of Women Affairs and Social
Development, broke into tears on sighting her guardian and others docked.
Permanent Secretary at the
Ministry, Julie Olatunji, told the court that the minor had informed her
headmistress how the accused persons defiled her severally after she was
quizzed about her unusual gait.
Olatunji said the case was
thereafter reported by the Acting Chairman of the State Universal Basic
Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, at the state Executive Council
meeting, where Governor Godwin Obaseki ordered a full-scale investigation into
the matter, which led to the arraignment of the suspects.
The permanent secretary
told the court that upon medical examination, it was discovered that the girl’s
hymen has been broken and infected and that she was currently undergoing
treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
The defendants pleaded not
guilty in the charges against them. But counsel to the 1st accused person, Mr
Ozomo, Barrister Simeon Atalor, however, applied for bail for the defendant,
whom he said was ill and visually-impaired.
The court subsequently
granted Mr Ozomo N100,000 bail with a surety in the like sum.
But two of his sons, Nosa
and Festus were denied bail.
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