A Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Calabar on Friday remanded Adamu Umaru, 48, in prison for allegedly raping and impregnating his 15-year-old daughter.
The respondent is a native of Bundugudu LGA of Zamfara State, residing at No. 27 Edem Odo Street Calabar.
Umaru was remanded by Chief Magistrate Mercy Ene following a hearing on an ex parte motion filed by the Police Prosecutor, O. S Umoren.
Umoren had argued that the ex parte motion became necessary for the defendant to remain in prison until the completion of an investigation on the matter.
The prosecutor stated that the motion was filed under Section 4 of the Police Act, 2020, and the Cross River State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2016.
However, the defendant’s counsel, Mohammed Shaibu, opposed the motion, arguing that he had not been properly served with it before his client’s arraignment.
Despite this, the Chief Magistrate approved the motion, which was supported by an affidavit, and adjourned the case until December 3.
It will be recalled that the Zone 6 Police Command in Cross River on Thursday paraded the suspect over the allegation of defiling and impregnating his 15-year-old daughter.
The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Nelson Okpabi informed newsmen that the suspect was arrested Friday, Nov. 15, based on a petition by one Aisha, the victim’s aunt.
“The personnel of the Zonal Human Rights Unit acting on a petition referred to the team for investigation, on the 15th of November, apprehended Adamu Umaru.
“The suspect is a native of Bundugudu LGA of Zamfara State, residing at No. 27 Edem Odo St. Calabar, who unlawfully defiled his daughter,” he said.
The spokesman said that the petitioner had stated that she noticed the changes in the girl’s physiology and took her to the hospital, where the test that was conducted confirmed her to be nine weeks pregnant.
The police said that the victim in her statement, alleged that her father, Umaru was responsible for her pregnancy.
She stated that her father started having illicit affairs with her in 2023 in a hotel located in Calabar and had threatened to kill her should she disclose this to anybody.
“She was further examined by a medical doctor in the Police hospital, Calabar and the result validated the earlier report submitted by her aunt.
The hotel manager, in his statement, acknowledged that he had seen the suspect multiple times with the victim while booking temporary accommodation, but he was unaware that she was his daughter, the PPRO explained.
