A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has remanded a randy 18-year-old for allegedly defiling five girls, aged between seven and 13, in one week.

The suspect, one Nwafor Jacob, was on Friday remanded in the prison custody by the Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs Nnenna Onuoha.

The court heard that Jacob allegedly defiling a 10-year-old minor, one Ojike Ruth.

The suspect, who was alleged to have serially engaged in the act in one week interval, also had canal knowledge of Okemiri Chinasa, 13; Nweke Abigail, 7; Ojike Ekpere Amaka, 7; and Ojike Deborah, 9.

Three out of Jacob’s five victims were siblings and he defiled them between January 19 and January 25, 2020.

The incident was said to have happened at Onunwafor village, Umuoghara community, in the Ezza North Local Government Area of the state, between 19th and 25th of January, 2020.

Further investigations revealed that Jacob had been in the habit of tactfully bouncing on the victims to defile them, while they were asleep.

He was arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court on one count of unlawful sexual intercourse, on Friday.

Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Sabastine Alumona, told the court that the offence was punishable under section 34 (2) Ebonyi State Child Right Law and Related Matters, 2010.

The charge read, “That you Nwafor Jacob Sunday Jacob ‘m’ on the 25th day of January, 2020, at Onunwafor village, Umuoghara, Ezza North Local Government Area, in Abakaliki Magisterial District did had unlawful sexual intercourse with Ojike Ruth ‘f’, aged 10 years; Okemiri Chinasa ‘f’, aged 13 years; Nweke Abigail ‘f’, aged 7; Ojike Ekpere Amaka ‘f’, aged 7 and Ojike Deborah ‘f’, aged nine years and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 34 (2) Ebonyi State Child Right Law and Related Matters, 2010.”

Counsel to the accused person, Barr. G. N. Ota, applied to the court for his client to be admitted to bail.

But the Prosecuting Counsel, led by Sergeant Alumona, opposed the bail application on the grounds that the offence was beyond the magistrate’s court to entertain.

Consequently, the Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs Nnenna Onuoha, stressed that the lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.

Mrs Onuoha directed that the accused person be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, while his case file should be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the state, for necessary legal advice.

The matter was adjourned till March 27, 2020, for report of compliance.