Chief Magistrate Court In PH Remands Father Of Defilement Survivor For Allegedly Collecting Settlement Money

Chief Magistrate Court presided over by Chief Magistrate F.N Amanze in Port Harcourt on Tuesday remanded Wigoh Enuolara father of twelve year old defilement survivor for allegedly collecting 800,000   naira from an accused Collins Azunna aged 39 years who allegedly defiled his twelve year old child.
As soon as the case was mentioned after the suspect was brought for arraignment, the defence lawyer,Edwin Woka informed the court that the father of the child had collected 800,000 naira from the family of the suspect that the suspect was only charged to court because he refused to be extorted further by the father of the twelve year  old girl.
E.B Igwe Esq lawyer holding watching brief for the nominal complainant (Wigoh Enuolara) told the  court his client did not agree to settlement but the Investigating Police Officer at Eleme Police Division pressured his client according to what his client told him.
The father of the twelve old girl Wigoh Enuolara claimed that the Investigating Police Officer one Rita at Eleme Police Division deceived him to collect the 800,000 naira  at the Police Station when he told her that his daugther had serious health challenge as a result of the rape and he did the money to save the life ofis daugther.
Chief Magistrate Amanze after going through the case files of the accused and nominal complainant at  Eleme Police Division and State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) noted that there is a document showing that the father of the twelve year old girl collected money and wrote withdrawal at Eleme Police Division.
Chief Magistrate ordered the accused Collins Azunna and the father of the twelve year old girl be remanded at PortHarcourt Correctional Centre and adjourned to January 13th,2022.
The accused and the father of the girl are expected to be arraigned  on the adjournment date.
Meanwhile Prince Wiro of Centre For Basic Rights Protection and Accountability  Campaign who has been following up the matter welcomed the decision of the court .Mr Wiro frowned at practice by parents/guardians of defilement survivors collecting money from accused in guise of settlement.
He   said the decision of the Court will send warning signal to parents/guardians who may want to toil the same path.
Also Anchor Korienta of FIDA,Rivers branch in her contribution said the decision of the court will serve as deterrent to others .