James Emmanuel, a 35-year-old laborer, has been placed under custody by the Chief Magistrates Court in Akure, Ondo State, following allegations that he fatally raped his 55-year-old coworker, Mrs. Deborah Abiodun.
The offense was reportedly perpetrated by the defendant, a coworker of the dead, at a chicken farm on Ijare Road in Akure's Oke-Odu neighborhood.
James is accused of killing Mrs. Abiodun by rape, hitting her in the head with a stone, and then disposing of her body in a garbage pit.
Magistrate F.A. Aduroja arraigned the suspect on a two-count charge that bordered on rape and murder.
Inspector Anwana Josephine, the police prosecutor, informed the court that the suspect had committed the crime on January 17, 2024, at approximately 11:00 p.m.
He informed the court that the offenses violated section 357 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006, and that they were punishable under section 358 of the same law.
The act of killing Deborah Abiodun by hitting her head with a stone and disposing of her body in a waste pit on the same date, time, and location in the aforementioned magistrate district by you, James Emmanuel, constitutes a violation of section 316 of the Ondo State laws of 2006 and is punishable under section 319 (1) of the criminal code, cap. 37, Vol. 1.
The defendant was placed under remand in the Ondo Correctional Center, as directed by trial magistrate Mrs. Aduroja. The trial was postponed until March 27, 2024.