A Chief Magistrate Court in Awka, Anambra State, has remanded a 75-year-old man, Mr. Sunday Muoghalu, for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl (names withheld) put under his care.
The teenager, who recently had a baby, was rescued by the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
The suspect, who resides at Umuoruka Village, Awka, was on Wednesday brought before the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court, Awka, presided over by Chief Magistrate Genevieve Osakwe.
Muoghalu was arraigned on three counts of defilement, unlawful carnal knowledge, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse.
Ruling on the bail application by the defence counsel, the presiding court said the rate of rape and defilement of minors in the State is alarming, adding that the defendant is old enough to be the grandfather of the complainant.
The chief magistrate stated that although the counsel for the defendant sought bail on the grounds that Muoghalu had acute diabetes and hypertension, he failed to present any medical report or hospital extract to that effect.
The court refused the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison while urging the prosecuting counsel to forward the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the State Ministry of Justice to enable it file information before the High Court.