An Asaba High Court on Tuesday jailed the kingpin of a five-man gang that raped a 17-year-old secondary school girl in Delta State.
The accused, Chukwu Ebuka Sunday, 35, on November 23, 2012 at Akwuebulu Quarters in Asaba, gang-raped the girl along with others.
The court condemned the accused to a jail term of 35 years without an option of fine after being found guilty of the crime.
Although, the convict in his defence denied the three count charge of conspiracy to commit rape, rape and demanding with menace, but Justice Nduka Obi averred that the prosecution was able to establish the essential ingredients of the offence against the accused.
Justice Obi accepted the evidence of the PW1 as a witness of truth and disbelieved the evidence of the accused.
“The evidence of PW1 was straight forward and to the point as she gave her evidence without any form of malice and with a disposition of forgiveness.”
Justice Obi, who warned against the alarming cases of rape in the society, sentenced the accused to three years for count one, 30 years for count two, and two years for count three.
They are to run concurrently.
Ebuka had ambushed the victim while she was on an errand for her mother.
He seized her by her skirt, dragged her into their compound and locked the gate.
Ebuka then brought out a cutlass and threatened to kill her before he forcefully pushed her into his room and raped her.
The accused thereafter telephoned five other friends who also raped the girl in turns.
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