Three teenagers were on Tuesday remanded in prison custody for their alleged involvement in armed robbery and rape.

The three teenagers were identified as Onyekaba Chinedu, 19; Akpa Ifeanyichukwu, 18; and Chidera Okelekwe, 18.

The accused persons were alleged to have raped a 14-year-old girl, one Miss Esther Maduabuchi, after robbing her of her N2,600.00.

The victim, newsmen gathered, was resting at home, after returning from school, when the suspects, having been heavily armed, barged into their house, robbed and thereafter raped her.

It was further learnt that the accused persons committed the offence on Jemeni Street, in the Abakaliki Local Government Area, of the state, on February 19, 2020.

They were arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court on three counts bothering on armed robbery, possession of unlawful weapons and unlawful sexual intercourse, on Tuesday.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Chinedu Mbam, told the court that the offence was punishable under sections 516A (a), 402 and 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

The charge read, “That you Onyekaba Chinedu ‘m’, Akpa Ifeanyichukwu ‘m’, Chidera Okelekwe ‘m’ and others now at on the 19th day of February, 2020, at Jemeni Street Abakaliki, in the Abakaliki Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: armed robbery and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516A (a) of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

“That you Onyekaba Chinedu ‘m’, Akpa Ifeanyichukwu ‘m’, Chidera Okelekwe ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District did armed yourselves with dangerous weapons and robbed one Esther Maduabuchi ‘f’ of her cash sum of Two Thousand Six Hundred Naira (N2,600.00) and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 402 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

“That you Onyekaba Chinedu ‘m’, Akpa Ifeanyichukwu ‘m’, Chidera Okelekwe ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, place and aforementioned Magisterial District did had unlawful canal knowledge of one Esther Maduabuchi ‘f’ age 14 years, without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”

The accused persons were not represented in court, by a Defense Counsel.

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The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Nnenna Onuoha, stressed that the matter was not within the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate.

Onuoha directed that the accused persons be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, while their case file, should be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, for advice.

She adjourned the case till March 6, 2020, for report of compliance.