26-year-old lawyer lands in court for assaulting commercial sex worker

A 26-year-old lawyer named Ekunife Emmanuel was recently arraigned in a Lugbe Grade I Area Court in Abuja, accused of assaulting a commercial sex worker.

Mr. Emmanuel, who resides in Jahi Abuja, faced charges of criminal breach of trust, assault, causing hurt, and inciting disturbance, all of which he denied.

According to the prosecuting counsel, Olisaemeka Okeke, the complaint was filed by Queeneth John, a commercial sex worker from Wuse Zone 5 Abuja, who reported the incident at the Asokoro police station on March 12th.

Okeke said the complainant claimed that on March 11 at about 10: p.m the defendant approached her at Wuse where she was hawking and took her to Bannex Plaza and demanded sex.

He said the defendant also took the complainant to a Hotel Guzape and promised to pay her N 50,000 after having sex with her.

Okeke told the court that the defendant had sex with the complainant and when she demanded her money he refused to pay her the money as he promised.

He said in the process the defendant started beating the complainant as a result she sustained bruises all over her body.

He said when the defendant was brought to Asokoro Police Station he started videoing the station and the police officers on duty thereby inciting disturbance in a public office.

The prosecutor said during police investigation, the defendant made a confessional statement.

Okeke said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 312, 365, 244 and 114 of the Penal Code.

The judge, Aliyu Kagarko, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N1 million and a surety in like sum.

He said, “I hereby grant the defendant bail in line with section 165(2) of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to deposit 10 per cent of the bail sum at the court registry pending the determination of the case.’’

He ordered that the surety must be a legal practitioner of not less than five years in practice and must summit his or her call to bar certificate.

He said the surety must reside within the court jurisdiction and adjourned the case until April 18 for hearing.