The suspect, who has been remanded at the Abakaliki Federal Prison, in Ebonyi State, was said to have on May 26, 2019, at Okwerike village Abaomege, in Onicha Local Government Council of the state sequel to constant disagreements and fights with his wife, decided to get at his said unfaithful wife by killing their breast-sucking daughter.
He was accused of carrying the sleeping baby named Roseline to an empty land behind his yam barn and buried her alive in a shallow grave.
It was gathered that the wife after the day’s quarrel in the morning where she was as usual accused by her husband of keeping late nights, fed and bathed Roseline during which she slept and was left under the custody of her father and other siblings, while the mother went out.
The baby's disappearance was not noticed by any other person in the vicinity till the mother came back and wanted to breastfeed her but could not find her.
Search parties were set up and they sought her to no avail. One thing led to another and the least expected suspect (her father) started confessing all that transpired and exhumed the dead body of the innocent baby behind his yam barn. He blamed his wife who, according to him, always makes him upset.
Anthony Sunday was on Friday arraigned by the police before an Abakaliki Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate Ruth Okeh in a suit numbered MAB/357c/2019 for a count charge of causing death of Roseline by burying her alive.
He thereby committed offence punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Vol. 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
Sequel to gravity of the offence which is above jurisdiction of a magistrate court, the trial magistrate ordered the remand of the suspect in Abakaliki Federal Prison and instructed the police to forward all documents and evidence in the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further prosecution.
The matter was adjourned to July 29, 2019 for report of compliance at the high court.
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Crime