Court remands man in prison for violence against own children

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Number 28 sitting in Apo, Abuja, has demanded a 40 year – old man, Alex Okafor in prison custody for an alleged act of violence and inflicting injuries on his three children.

The three children (names withheld) are aged 8, 10 and 11 years.

His remand was a sequel to his arraignment by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP) and his inability to meet the bail conditions granted him by the Court.

Spokesman of NAPTIP, Mr Josiah Emerole in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said the defendant was dragged before the Court on a three-count charge under the provisions of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.

He was arraigned in the case of FRN Vs Alex Okafor with Charge number CR/161/18.

According to the statement, Okafor, a staff of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) resides at 47 Sector F, Pipeline Road, Bazango Layout, Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

He was charged with willfully inflicting physical injury on his three children (2 daughters and one son) using horse whip (koboko) and electric wire thereby committing an offence punishable under section 2(11) of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.

After the charges were read over to him the defendant pleaded not guilty to all the counts in the charge sheet. His Counsel Maxwell Alaeto moved an application for bail before the Court relying on a 9 – paragraph affidavit and a written address to support his request.

The Prosecution led by Offiah Sam opposed the motion for bail with a 20 – paragraph counter affidavit on the ground that the defendant constitutes a threat to the children who he constantly unleashes terror on.

Ruling on the bail application, the Presiding Judge, Honourable Justice Valentine B. Ashi, ruled that since there was nothing in form of attachment to justify the oral submission on the alleged act of violence being committed by the defendant against the children, the court must uphold his fundamental right to bail.

The Court, therefore, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and 2 sureties in like someone of which must be his Pastor and another person a Civil Servant.

The defendant could not fulfil the bail conditions and was thereafter remanded in Kuje prison pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

Further hearing on the matter has been adjourned to 19th June 2018