ENUGU – Two men, Augustine Ike and Chukwudi Iwuagu, on Wednesday appeared before the Federal High Court in Enugu for alleged rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl.
The accused persons were arraigned on a three-count charge of rape, defilement and an attempt to murder the victim at Ugboezeji, Abakpa Nike, Enugu.
The prosecuting police counsel, Mr Moses Onyia, said the victim went to her mother’s garden to cut vegetables on Nov. 15, 2013 at about 5 p.m. when the accused persons forced her into a nearby bush.
He added that one of the accused tied her mouth with his shirt and threatened to kill her if she refuses to cooperate.
Onyia said the accused persons raped the victim repeatedly until she became unconscious and they left her and ran away.
He said the victim’s mother waited for her return till 6.30 p.m. and rushed to the garden only to see her daughter lying helpless with blood all over her body and raised alarm for help.
The counsel said that people came and rushed the victim to a nearby hospital for treatment.
“The worst part of it was that the accused persons are living in the same neighbourhood with the victim so she knows them.
“One of the accused, Chukwudi Iwuagu, has been at large since the incident until April this year when the police found him in Onitsha, Anambra.
“Two of them are now in prison custody awaiting trial,” Onyia said.
The counsel to the accused, Mr Simon Obeta, said his clients were not criminals as one of them was a motor mechanic while the other was a bus conductor.
He said the victim’s mother just set his clients up because she had a little problem with one of them inside a bus.
Justice Dorothy Agishi adjourned the case till July 9 for hearing. (NAN)
