- Police arraign suspect, relations for bigamy
The police in Ebonyi State have arraigned a 22-year-old woman, Nkeiruka Winifred, before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki for getting married to two men at the same time.
Winifred and two of her relations, Chijioke Obasi and Stanley Mbam, were dragged to the court for alleged involvement in unlawful marriage and defrauding of her first husband of the sum of N150,000 paid as dowry at Hausa Quarters and Mbam Street, in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Winifred is accused of going into another marriage whereas her statutory marriage with one Dr. Solomon Nwankwo, the complainant in the suit numbered MAB\ 109c\ 2020 contracted on September 28, 2017 at the Magistrate’s Court Registry, Ozubulu Nnewi, Anambra State, is still valid.
The suspects were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Nnenna Onuora on a three-count charge of conspiracy, bigamy and fraud.
Police prosecutor, ASP Mathias Eze, told the court that the offence is punishable under Sections 516A (a), 370 and 419 (A) of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
According to the charge sheet, “That you Nkeiruka Winifred ‘f’, Chijioke Obasi ‘m’ and Stanley Mbam ‘m’ all of Hausa Quarters and Mbam Street, respectively, in the Abakaliki Magisterial District, on October 28, 2019, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; bigamy and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516A (a) of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“That you Nkeiruka Winifred ‘f’, Stanley Mbam ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did contract a fresh marriage with one another when the union between Nkeiruka Winifred ‘f’ and one Dr. Solomon Nwankwo contracted on September 28, 2017, at the Magistrate’s Court Registry, Ozubulu, Nnewi, Anambra State, still subsists and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 370 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
However, after considering the facts of the matter, the trial magistrate granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N100,000.00 each and sureties in like sum. The accused must provide one surety each, who must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and must be either a business man or civil servant.
The matter was adjourned to March 2 for hearing.
