One James Emmanuel who is charged with raping his older colleague, 55-year-old woman, Mrs Deborah Abiodun to death, has been remanded.
The 35-year-old had had canal knowledge of Mrs Abiodun with whom he worked together at Oke-Odu Area, of Akure on January 17, 2024.
The accused is also said to hit his victim with stone in the head and dumped her corpse inside a waste pit.
On Thursday, an Ondo State Chief Magistrate Court, sitting in Akure, ordered his detention.
Facing a two-count charge bordering on murder and rape, the court heard from the police prosecutor, Anwana Josephine, that the suspect committed the offence on January 17, 2024 at about 11.00pm, an offence, contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The charge sheet read: “That you, James Emmanuel, ‘m’, on the 17th day of January 2024 at about 11.00pm at Ilere, on Ijare Road, Akure in the Akure Magisterial District, did rape Deborah Abiodun, ‘f’, aged 55 years old and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
“That you, James Emmanuel, ‘m’, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did kill one Deborah Abiodun ‘F’ by hitting her with a stone on her head and dumping her corpse inside a waste pit and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.”
Ruling, the Chief Magistrate, F.A. Aduroja, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the correctional centre in Ondo town and adjourned the trial till March 27, 2024.
