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Just IN: Court remands Anambra herbalist for attempted murder
An herbalist simply known as Nonso has been remainder in prison for the attempted murder of a 25-year-old woman, by a Chief Magistrate Court in Awka, Anambra State.
The Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court, sitting in Awka and presided over by His Worship, Genevieve Osakwe, heard the case of Nonso on Wednesday. Nonso is a native of Umuona in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra.
It was learned that the suspect, who was dating a single mother of two children, sent a commercial motorcycle driver to pick up the woman and her children. Once they arrived at the suspect’s house, he allegedly slit the woman’s neck and tried to bury her along with her two children in a grave that was already prepared in his backyard.
After being released from the hospital, the victim, who spoke with newsmen under the condition of anonymity, claimed she went to see the suspect on the specified day because he had earlier made a marriage proposal to her.
She said, “On that fateful day the suspect sent a bike man to bring me and my kids to his house. He didn’t allow us to go home that day because it was already late. He later told me that he has a surprise for me, and he used a white handkerchief to blindfold me.
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“It was at that point that I struggled to know what was happening but unfortunately it was too late for me as the suspect had already brought a knife and started slitting my throat.”
The victim further claimed that although she struggled with the suspect, she was overpowered and was dragged to an already dug 4-5ft grave in the suspect’s backyard and she was pushed into the grave.
Additionally, she claimed that the suspect threw a large stone at her while she was in the grave and then went to get a shovel to cover her with sand. When she started screaming, the elder sister of the suspect, who was sleeping in the room, heard her.
She claimed that after she had alerted the public and the local doctor had been apprehended, the suspect’s sister had come to save her. However, by that time, the biker who had been the suspect’s accomplice had escaped.
Through the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Team, the victim and her two children were reportedly saved by the state commissioner for women and social welfare, Mrs. Ify Obinabo, who later had the suspect arraigned.
This came about after the commissioner was made aware of the situation, who promptly set up accommodations for the victim and her two children through the SGBV response team and further ensured that the case would be heard in court to serve as a deterrent to others who commit such heinous acts.
The charge was read to the defendant during the hearing at the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court, presided over by His Worship, Genevieve Osakwe, but no plea was entered.
The court also mandated that the police send the original case file to the state attorney general’s office and remanded the defendant to the state correctional facility. More so, the case was then postponed until December, and the court instructed the police to ensure the capture of the eluding motorcycle rider who had been identified as the accomplice.