Court Remands Father Of Rape Victim Over N800,000 Cover Up Deal
Chief Magistrate Court 8 presided over by F.N Amanze sitting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday remanded one Wigoh Enuolara, father of a 12 year old girl at Ogale in Eleme, Rivers State for allegedly collecting N800,000 from one Collins Azunna who allegedly defiled his daughter.
At the commencement of the case, when the suspect was brought for arraignment, the moment the case was mentioned, the defence lawyer, Edwin Woka told the Chief Magistrate that the father of the 12 year old girl had collected N800,000 for settlement of the matter at Eleme Police Division that the suspect was only arraigned because he refused to be extorted further.
B. Igwe, holding watching brief for the nominal complainant argued that his client, Wigoh Enuolara did not collect any money from the accused but it was the investigating police officer at Eleme One Rita who was pressurizing his client for settlement.
The nominal complainant, Enuolara Wigoh in his explanation told the court that he needed to save the life of his daughter who had serious health challenge after the alleged defilement and that was the reason he collected the N800,000.
Chief Magistrate Amanze after going through the case file of both accused and nominal complainant at Eleme Police Division and State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) said document in the file showed the nominal complainant collected money and there was no justification for collection of the money.
Chief Magistrate ordered that the accused (Collins Azunna) and the nominal complainant (Enuolara Wigoh) be remanded at Port Harcourt correctional centre till 13th January, 2022.