Rape: 4 dismissed soldiers re-arraigned on amended charges

Four dismissed soldiers, Nse Eywdip, 33; Ugwu Mathew, 23; Emezien Uzonna, 24, and Efosa Ikhomoregbe, 23,were re-arraigned on Thursday at an FCT High Court, Abuja, charged with raping four sex workers. The four accused were re-arraigned on a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, rape, assault and armed robbery.

The prosecution counsel, Mr Adama Musa, told the court that the former soldiers committed the offences between Dec. 21 ,2012 and Dec. 23, 2012 at about 9 p.m. at River Plate Garden in Wuse 2, Abuja. Musa said the accused, armed with military rifles and horsewhips, robbed one Tina Obassy of N40,000, Jennifer Joseph of N30,000, Precious Okorie, N18,000 and Ruth Madu, N30,000. The offences contravene and are punishable under sections 97(1) and 298 of the Penal Code, the prosecution said.

However, the accused each pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Their counsel, Mr Ugboma Nebechi, filed an application for bail for the accused but Justice Bukola Banjoko did not grant the application but ordered an accelerated hearing of the case.

Banjoko, thereafter, ordered that the four men be remanded in the Kuje Medium Prison and adjourned the case to July 20 for continuation of hearing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four soldiers were initially arraigned on June 7, 2013, before Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi but the case was re-assigned after the elevation of the judge to the Court of Appeal.

Consequently, the case started afresh before Justice Banjoko. (NAN)