The man who got a minor he allegedly impregnated, arrested and imprisoned for eight months, has been arrested by the police.
For over seven days, Nadum Nwitua, the man accused of impregnating Comfort Monday, the 17-year-old inmate, who had been incarcerated while pregnant at the Kirikiri Female Prison, Apapa, for eight months, over an alleged theft of N295,000, had evaded all attempts by federal and state government officials catching up with him.
Following the intervention of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development in effecting Ms Monday’s release, Mr Nwitua had gone underground. Witnesses said he only returns to his abode at 2 Owode Street, Abule Egba, at midnight and leaves before dawn. Subsequently, police officers attached to the governor’s office and Alausa police station, arrested him on August 20, at about 6am, as he made to leave his compound. He is accused of sexually abusing Ms Monday.
Denies the charge
Mr Nwitua denied ever having any sexual relations with Ms Monday. “I have never touched her,” he said. “I have being arrested for an offence I have no idea; when everyone knows she has a boyfriend, Kennedy, who must have impregnated her. Why has he not being arrested and brought here?.” He also denied being invited by any government agency to answer any of the allegations levied against him. But Lucas Koyejo, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of the National Human Rights Commission, produced a letter of invitation addressed to Mr Nwitua, dated August 9, 2010, alleging assault, rape, trafficking, child labour and malicious prosecution of Ms Monday, which was signed and received by Mr Nwitua’s niece, Princess, on August 11. “In view of the seriousness of the above allegations, the commission hereby request for your response within seven days of your receipt of this letter in order to make a fair and just decision in this matter,” the letter read..
Different tune
At the Police State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Mr Nwitua began to sang a different tune. He accused the Lagos State government of conspiring against him; and boasted that the charge of impregnating Ms Monday, if proven, would show he is a man. “Comfort was given to me by her father and brother for marriage,” he said. “I paid them about N25,000. Even if I impregnated her, am I not a man? So what crime have I done? All this allegations are just lies. Everybody that is a Yoruba is a liar. All you Yorubas are all liars.” Vure Kara, lawyer to Mr Nwitua, said his client was willing to undergo medical tests to confirm whether he is the father of the baby, adding if positive, he would have committed no crime since Ms Monday is above 16 years. “Our law is clear, once a person is within the age of 16 years, the issue of having intercourse with anybody is not a crime at all,” he said. “It is only if you have sexual intercourse with any person under 16 that it is a crime. So if that happens, it will be resolved. There is always a way about it..”
Not so easy
But indications are that Mr Nwitua, who has being detained over the weekend at Panti, will be charged to a family court. This would mean he will be tried under the Child Rights Law of Lagos State, thus ensuring a stiffer penalty. “It is a criminal matter and there are several allegations against him,” Mr Koyejo said. “First of all there is the allegation of rape because he forcefully had carnal knowledge of an underage under his care and the penalty for that under the Child Rights Act is life imprisonment.”
Ademola Adeniji-Adele, the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, whose ministry took over Ms Monday’s welfare since August 17, said both mother and baby were doing fine. He said it would be left to the court to determine when a paternity test would be carried out. “The ministry’s obligation is to the girl and the child,” he said. “Everything other thing is being handled by the police and the court. Ours is to ensure abuse in any form in Lagos State is addressed. This is what we have done and the ministry is grateful to NEXT for bringing this girl’s case to the fore.”
