A rejected suitor, Emmanuel Egbo, 27, has been sentenced to four months
imprisonment for assaulting a lady, Chioma Ugo, who had rebuffed his
loved advances.
Egbo who is a salesman residing at Ungwar Tiv community in Karu, was
arraigned on a three-count charge of assault occasioning harm, unlawful
restraint and criminal intimidation.
The prosecutor, Helen Ashasim, told the court that Ugo, who also
resides at Ungwa Tiv community in Karu, had, on August 31, reported a
case of assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal intimidation to
policemen at the Karu Police Station.
Ashasim said the complainant alleged that on a fateful day, Egbo had
called her on the phone to assist him to purchase some drugs because he
was indisposed.
The prosecutor said the convict, who was a neighbour to Ugo, had previously asked her out but she refused.
Ashasim said when Ugo got to Egbo’s entrance and knocked; he opened
the door, dragged her in and threatened to forcefully rape her for not
agreeing to an amorous relationship with him.
“When the complainant began shouting, Egbo prevented her exit from his apartment and began to assault her.
“He inflicted severe injuries on the lady before she was eventually
rescued by her younger brother, who was in the house,’’ the prosecutor
said.
She said the complainant was rushed to a hospital in Nyanya, where
she had been receiving medical treatment and had spent N15,000 so far.
The prosecutor said the offences contravened sections 250, 256 and 397(b) of the Penal Code.
After listening to the charges, Egbo pleaded ‘guilty’ but urged the Karu Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja to be lenient with him.
The judge, Hassan Ishaq, however, gave the convict an option of fine
of N9,000, ordering that Egbo should pay the complainant, one Chioma
Ugo, N15,000 as compensation for medical expenses.
Ishaq also ordered the convict to write an undertaking to bear any
other expenses incurred with regard to the treatment of the assaulted
lady.