A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has remanded a 35-year-old labourer, James Emmanuel, for allegedly raping a 55-year-old co-labourer, Deborah Abiodun, to death.

He was said to have committed the crime at a poultry firm located at Oke-Odu area, off Ilere, on Ijare road, where he was alleged to have hit the victim with stone on her head and dumped her corpse inside a waste pit, after raping her.

The suspect, who was said to have committed the offence on January 17, 2024, at about 11.00pm, was arraigned on two counts bordering on murder and rape.

Police Prosecutor, Anwana Josephine, told the court that the offence contravened Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

The charge sheet read, “That you James Emmanuel ‘m’ on the 17th day of January, 2024 at about 11.00pm at Ilere, on Ijare Road, Akure in the Akure Magisterial District, did rape Deborah Abiodun ‘f’ aged 55 years old and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

“That you James Emmanuel ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did kill one Deborah Abiodun ‘T’ by hitting her with stone on her head and dump her corpse inside a waste pit and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.”

Presiding magistrate, Folashade Aduroja, therefore ordered the remand of the defendant in a Correctional Centre in Ondo town and adjourned the trial until March 27, 2024.