By Onah Onah
Mr Sunday Moghalu, a 75 year-old man arrested for alleged rape and Impregnating a 13-year-old girl said to be his foster daughter has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Dragged before an Anawbia magistrate court, presided over by senior Magistrate Jenevive Osakwe on Wednesday, Moghalu claimed he was not responsible for the pregnancy that had turned the minor a nursing mother.
The septuagenarian was arraigned on a three count charge bothering on rape, unlawful intercourse and abuse of fundamental rights among others.
The prosecuting officer Inspector, Ayogu Onyema had told the court that the defendant was arrested on last Sunday at his Agu Oye Umudioka following a tip off.
He said the committed offense punishable by sect.34 law of Anambra State 2004.
Ruling on the matter the Senior magistrate Osakwe said she was declining to bail application brought by his counsel on the ground that she has no jurisdiction to hear the matter.
She there binded the matter to high court and adjourned the matter to February 1, 2023.
It would be recalled that the police in Anambra State had arrested Moghalu, a 75 yrs for impregnating a 13 yr old minor. Muoghalu who resides at Agu oye Umudioka Awka was arrested Sunday night on order of the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development, Hon Ify Obinabo.
His arrested followed a video of the girl and her new baby went viral on social media after she was discovered by a good sameritan who stumbled on her at a private hospital at Adazi in Aniocha LGA.
Mr Muoghalu who is about to take an Ozo tittle of his community according to his council said it was a set up that he has never been involved in any scandal all his 75 yrs on earth.
Reacting to the incident former minister for women affairs Mrs Josephine Anine said it is very unfortunate that the society is degenerating to a level of destruction adding that this incident may have been one out of thousands of such that had been swept under the carpet.
She expressed delight that the new brake through in technology and the social media has come to rescue the society from such embarrassing development .
Meanwhile Mrs Hope Okoye, coordinator VAPP and Special adviser to the commissioner for women affairs and social development on sexual and gender violence said the punishment as spelt out by the law of Anambra State 2004 is a life imprisonment. She said the commission has recorded over 500 of such case involving children of 1, 2, 3, 4 yrs including homosexual involving parents, neighbouring tenants, and teenage girls and boys.
She however expressed hope that since the establishment of designated special court handling such matter the magistrate court has recorded over 500 cases the while the high court had also recorded over 25 cases. She commended the effort of the commissioner for women affairs and social development Hon Mrs Ify Obinabo for her prompt intervention saying that the ministry is prepared to reduce such cases to the bearest minimum
