Police arraign man, 27, for alleged abduction

The police today arraigned a man, Monday Apokwo, 27, before an Upper Area Court in Karu, Abuja, for allegedly abducting a woman.

Prosecutor Silas Nanpam told the court that the complainant, Akpan Udoh, of Aso Gbagalape Village, Nyanya, Abuja, reported the case at the Nyanya Police Station on July 30.

Nanpam said that the accused took the complainant's daughter, Grace Akpan, 23, to his house without the consent of the father.

He said the accused also impregnated Grace and the pregnancy is currently three months old, noting the offence contravened Section 272 of the Penal Code.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Udo, in his testimony, told the court that the accused started a love relationship with his daughter through frequent visits to the area where he lives with his family.
He said that the accused had a friend he usually visits in the area, adding: ``I warned Apokwo to leave my daughter several times.
``I told him to leave her alone as she is only a student but he refused.
``When I noticed my daughter's disappearance from home and found out she was with him,
I reported to the police,’’ he testified.
Udoh added that when the accused was questioned by the police, he said he would marry
the girl.
Grace told the court that she stays at the accused's house because her father drove her away when he noticed she was pregnant.
She said that her father told her never to come back home until she was delivered of the baby and had given the baby to the accused.
The accused then told the court that he loved the girl and that he had gone to pay her dowry twice but the father refused to accept it.
Udoh, on the other hand, vowed never to accept the Akokwo’s proposal to marry his daughter, saying: ``Apokwo is rude, irresponsible and disrespectful’’.
The Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, advised Apokwo to leave the girl alone since the father disapproves of it.
Kagarko also advised Udoh to forgive his daughter as the damage had already been done and her actions were based on ignorance.
He adjourned the case to Dec. 20, for cross examination.