The Children and Gender Based Violence Magistrate Court in Awka, Anambra State, has remanded A 35-year-old man in prison for allegedly molesting his brother’s two-year-old baby.
The suspect, Joseph Egwuatu, was said to have raped the victim when he visited his brother’s residence and reportedly sent a relative, who was caring for the baby, to an errand.
The incident happened in Nzam, a community in Anambra West Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Egwuatu, a resident of the community, was arraigned before the court on Wednesday, and charged for molesting the child, according to a statement on Friday by Chidinma Ikeanyiownu, a media aide to the State Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo.
The offence is punishable under section 34 (2) of the Child’s Right Law of Anambra State, 2004, the statement said.
“The charge was read and interpreted to the defendant, to the satisfaction of the Court.
“However, the Magistrate Court did not (take) defendant’s plea because the case is triable by the High Court,” Ms Ikeanyiownu said.
She said before the charge was read to the defendant, who was not represented in court by a counsel, the Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, duly informed the defendant of his constitutional right to a defence counsel of his choice.
Mr Egwuatu, the suspect, while speaking to reporters after the court session, denied committing the alleged offence, claiming that he only opted to help “babysit” the child, according to the statement.
The suspect also claimed that he stepped out to get a few things done, but that while coming back to the house, he heard the child crying and he decided to check on her; but to his shock, he saw the child in a pool of her own blood, with a lot of tears in her honeypot, which left him bewildered.
He further told reporters that it was at the moment that one of their relatives stepped in, raised alarm and began to tell everyone that he had raped the child.
He also stated that he had never attempted to harm anyone, let alone “his own blood.”
The victim had since been taken to hospital for proper medical attention, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in Anambra State, Mrs Obinabo, expressed sadness over the incident, Ms Ikeanyiownu said.
Mrs Obinabo assured that her ministry would vigorously pursue justice for the victim and ensure that the defendant, if found guilty, is punished in accordance with the law.
The commissioner also hinted that her ministry would embark on media sensitisation programme to educate and enlighten residents of the state about the dangers and negative consequences of rape, child molestation, child labour and child abuse among others.
She urged the residents to abstain from all forms of social vices in the society, especially those which endanger the life of a child, just as she pleaded with everyone to contribute their quota in changing the society positively.
Nigeria in 2015 enacted the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act, which outlawed all forms of violence against women and girls, including rape, female circumcision and forceful ejection, among others.
Offenders, on conviction, face life imprisonment or a maximum of 14-year jail term, depending on the age of the offender and the type of violence committed.
Although Anambra was among the first 14 states that domesticated the anti-rape law, many states are yet to do so.
Several persons have been convicted of rape, especially teenagers, across the country
A Domestic Violence and segxwal Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State, South-west Nigeria, in May, sentenced a dismissed police officer, Mohammed Alidu, to life imprisonment for molesting a nine-year-old schoolgirl in a police barracks.
The court, in July, also convicted a Nigerian actor, Olanrewaju James, alias Baba Ijesha, of segxwally assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
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AH! Gidi gan! E show for una bodi. 
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