Lecturer who went with daughter to fight rival arraigned, remanded

Juliana Francis

Fifty-three years old Dr Fred Ekpa Ayokhai, who went with his 18 years old daughter, Emmanuella  Ayokhai, to fight her rival, Blessing, over a boyfriend dispute, has been arraigned on the 26^th of October 2022 and remanded.

According to the Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ramhan Nansel, the lecturer was arraigned alongside Emmanuella  Ayokhai, Bob Praise Ayokhai 23, and Saint-Dan Ayokhai 21.

They were arraigned at High Court 1, Nasarawa State before Justice Aisha Bashir-Aliyu, the chief judge of Nasarawa State on a six-count charge of Criminal Conspiracy, House Breaking and Criminal Force or Assault on a woman with intent to outrage modesty, kidnapping and inflicting physical injury on another; punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria, Section 3(1) and 4 of the Nasarawa State Kidnapping(Prohibition) Law, 2019, Section 268(2) and 354 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria and Section 3(1) of the Nasarawa State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2019.

Nansel said that the case had been assigned to High Court for trial while the suspects have been remanded in prison custody pending formal arraignment.

It will be recalled that Fred, with almost his whole family members, stormed the hostel room of Blessing, who was having an altercation with his daughter Emmanuella over who had a right to a particular boyfriend both of them appeared to be dating.

The family first attacked Blessing by slamming her head against a window burglarproof, she was then ordered outside and instructed to lie on the ground and the family members descended with canes.

Not done, the lecturer used scissors to shred her clothes, exposing her breasts to the world. She was then taken to a bush, flogged again and left for dead.

While these actions were being meted on Blessing, a family member gleefully video recorded it, and would later upload it on the internet.

The video went viral, thus began the genesis of the problem and eventually the arrest of Fred and some of his family members.