Court remands Anambra barber for raping 14-year-old customer

Chief Magistrate, Mrs. U.E. Onochie, in Awka, Anambra State, has ordered 33-year-old barber, Ihechukwu Korie, to be remanded in prison for the alleged rape of a minor.

Onochie, who presides over the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Offences Court in Awka, gave the order following a request by the Police Prosecutor, Insp Chinyere Okechukwu.

The defendant, who is facing a one-count charge of rape, was ordered to be remanded at the Awka Correctional Facility.

The magistrate adjourned the case until September 24 for report of compliance.

Okechukwu, said the defendant committed the offence on August 19, at Chicago Estate, Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra.

“The 14-year-old victim was sent by her aunt to get a haircut at the defendant’s shop.

“While she was seated, waiting for her turn, the defendant finished attending to the customer before her.

“He then stepped outside, looked around briefly, returned to the shop, locked the door and turned up the volume of the music.

“The defendant dragged the victim to a three-in-one seater chair meant for customers, forcefully removed her clothing and had canal knowledge of her.

“He then used his handkerchief to wipe his sperm from her vagina. He eventually barbed her hair for free.

“After medical examination and enquiry at the Madonna Hospital and Maternity in Oba, a medical practitioner confirmed that the girl had been raped,” the prosecutor told the court.

Okechukwu said the offence contravened Section 130(2) (a) (b) of the Administration Criminal Justice Law 2022.

She the urged the court to remand the suspect at a correctional facility.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, claiming he was unaware of the girl’s age.

He alleged that their relationship was based on mutual feelings, which eventually led to the sexual encounter.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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