From Chidi Nnadi and Petrus Obi, Enugu
A father, Chukwuka Nwanonenyi, has been arrested by the police in Enugu for allegedly defiling his eight-month-old daughter.
The suspect was among suspected criminals paraded yesterday by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmauel Ojukwu.
The suspect told newsmen that he is innocent of the allegations.
He said: “Since December last year, I have been having issues with my wife after I discovered that she was having an affair with one Caleb and she returned to her father’s house. One day she called to tell me she was going to the hospital and later said that the child had malaria and typhoid.
“Later she called me to come to the state CID, I took the child for lab test where it was confirmed that the virginity of the baby was intact. Later, I went with her to a hospital in Emene, where doctors confirmed that nothing was wrong with the child. So she is lying.”
But his wife (names withheld) claims that she was not having any issue with him. “He was the one that brought my bags to my parents’ house; and he is still the father of the baby. If he had confessed to me I would have invited a pastor to deliver him; but each time I asked him he would be beat me, saying that it was not possible.
“I have been living with him and we were not quarrelling. He would send me on an errand to go and buy something for him and he would lock himself with the baby inside and the baby would start crying. Each time he carried the baby, he would have erection and if I asked him what was the problem, he would say it was normal with every man. One day, I noticed that my baby’s vagina was not normal and I told him but he said that I should leave the baby alone.
“I went to tell his mother but she flogged me and the baby out of her house. She said that I should get out of their house that her son wants to marry another girl. So I decided to take the baby to the hospital where it was confirmed that she had been defiled.”
The suspects who confessed to the crime said; “we kidnapped our mummy but we had a reason for doing it; our mother is having eye problem and our brother didn’t want to bring money for the treatment. So I and my sister agreed to do it to raise money and take our mother to Akwa Ibom for her treatment.
“This is my friend I used to buy meat from him so I approached her to assist us. We took her to a hotel and paid for her room and the next day we brought her back. We didn’t harm her; we just did it to help her. That was when we knew our brother was not even ready to do anything for her; he said if we want to eat our mum we should go ahead that he wasn’t ready to release any money.”
Also, an 80-year-old man was paraded alongside 10 armed/kidnap suspects for alleged gun running. The elderly man who spoke in his Enugu Ezike dialect told newsmen that his job is to repair local guns.
He claimed that most of the guns recovered from him were those repaired but whose owners could not come to claim it.
Kidnapping: Two police officers, driver bag 28 years each
From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The Delta State High Court, sitting in Asaba has sentenced three persons including two police officers to 28 years imprisonment each with hard labour for conspiracy to kidnap and murder of an High Court Judge, Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge.
The state Chief Judge, Justice Marshall Umukoro, who handed down the sentences, found Constable Nicholas Asomuya; the police orderly attached to the judge, Godfrey Maka; and the driver, Matthew Igbon guilty of the four -count charge preffered against them by the prosecution.
They were sentenced to seven years each for count one, 14 years each on count two and five years and two years each on count three and four respectively. Justice Mukoro however ruled that the sentences shall run concurrently.
Justice Umukoro condemned the act of the police officers, and held that it was unacceptable for the same set of persons assigned to protect the judicial officer to put her life in jeopardy.
He held that evidence against the accused persons by prosecution led by the former Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. E. H. Edema are direct and unequivocal.
The Court however, discharged and acquitted two other accused persons, including a police officer, Francis Okolie and a business man, Cletus Okwute on all the offences for lack of sufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
Prosecution had told the court that Nicholas Asomuya, Matthew Igbon and Godfrey Maka on or about the 12th day of September, 2012 at Warri within the Warri Judicial Division caused Honourable Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge to receive a written threat to kill her as well as demand for the sum of N20 million.
The offense is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap C. 21, Volume 1, Laws of Delta State, 2006.
The threat letter was also followed by series of other threat text messages and phone calls to the unsuspecting High Court Judge.
When one of the phone lines was called by a private investigator recruited by Mrs. Azinge, it rang inside the 3rd accused pockets and he hurriedly switched-it off.
The first accused, Nicholas Asomuya, was arrested around 12 mid-night when he attempted to pick up the N300,000 agreed ransom under a broken down cooling van.
The written threat read: “Congratulations for the money well paid. Mrs. Ngozi Azinge, my boys are hungry and I need the sum of N20 million from you within 48hrs and with a trustful mind your family will be protected without harms.
“Woman, it is obvious that your husband play to be smart and stubborn but don’t try me pls. Failure to compromise expect me. When next I come and it may not be easy for you, says “D Don”.
“If the Government wished they should assign all the security personnel in Delta State for you that is not my concern because my mission must be accomplished. It’s your turn to pay because many have paid without wahala but if you think you are smart wait and see the fruit of your smartness.
“For your notice I and my boys are not Kidnappers we are “MONEY MAKING MACHINE” (MMM) “D DONS” Family. Please don’t allow me to revisit you because my boys are everywhere.
“Pls, play safe, cooperate and pay the money. Call this line 07056758106 when the money is ready. Woman, delay is Dangerous. Good woman. Bye.”
