Rape: I am guilty with reasons, suspect tells court

An accused arraigned for offences bordering on gross indecency and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor has told an FCT Court in Apo that he was guilty as charged but with reasons. 54-year-old Matthias Longuga was accused by the FCT Commissioner of Police in a three-count charge to have had unlawful sexual intercourse with an […]

An accused arraigned for offences bordering on gross indecency and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor has told an FCT Court in Apo that he was guilty as charged but with reasons.

54-year-old Matthias Longuga was accused by the FCT Commissioner of Police in a three-count charge to have had unlawful sexual intercourse with an eight-year-old girl on August 24, 2017.

The police also said the accused committed the offence of gross indecency in that on the said date, he touched the private part of the minor without her consent with the intent to commit rape.

Longuga was also accused of criminally intimidating the victim not to disclose to anybody that he had sexually abused her.

Police prosecutor Barrister James Idachaba told the court that the allegations against the accused are offences contrary to both Section 285 of the Penal Code Law and Section 31 of Child Right Act.

When the charges were read to the accused, he pleaded guilty to count one that said he touched the victim’s private part with the intent to rape her. However, he quickly added that he had reasons for the act.

He also pleaded guilty with a reason to the allegation of having unlawful sexual intercourse with the victim.

He however pleaded not guilty to the offence of criminally intimidating the victim not to disclose the act to anyone.

Upon taking the pleas of the accused, the trial judge, Justice S. B. Belgore, ordered that he be remanded in Kuje Prisons until the matter come up for hearing on March 13, 2018.