A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has ordered the remand of a 28-year-old man, Audu Dare, in the Custodial Centre for the death of his six-year-old daughter, after he allegedly raped her.

According to the charge, the defendant was on February 19, 2022, in Ilawe Ekiti, “reasonably suspected to have committed offence of murder on his six-year-old daughter, Ayomide, contrary to, and punishable under section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap C16 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”

In her statement to the police, the mother of the deceased, Eniola Aina, said she got married to the defendant some years ago; the marriage was blessed with a child, but she left his house four years ago due to his nonchalant and carefree attitude.

She said, “On the fateful day, he came to my house in Ilawe Ekiti and requested to take out the deceased, to which I obliged. He returned the girl around 12am and left.

“Shortly after that, the deceased began to complain of headache and ache in her private part. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she told me, ‘My father raped me.’ She eventually died on the second day,” she added.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Oriyomi Akinwale, who urged the court to remand the defendant, said, “Granting the order will allow the police to complete their investigation and forward the duplicate case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.”

The Chief Magistrate, Bankole Oluwasanmi, in his ruling, said that the defendant “is hereby ordered to be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services, Ado Ekiti, while the case is adjourned to March 23, 2022, for mention.”

(The PUNCH)

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