APC Chieftain accused of rape, arrives court on a stretcher

APC Chieftain, Perekeme Richard Kpodo, who has been standing trial over an accusation of rape, caused a mild drama yesterday at a Bayelsa High Court in Yenagoa, after he arrived for the case against him in a stretcher.

The former Security Adviser to ex-Gov. Timipre Sylva, had been accused of raping and detaining one Teke Blessing on June 20, at his hostel. However after he was remanded in Prison custody till Aug. 10 for ruling on his bail application,  he arrived court, yesterday, on a stretcher.

After he was spotted in the ambulance, the Judge ordered the prison officials to return him to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa where he had been receiving treatment.

Though the case continued later in his absence and he was denied bail. Justice E. Eradiri, said that the bail application, based on medical grounds, did not indicate that the accused was not getting adequate medical attention from prison. Justice Eradiri also added that denied the accused bail based on the nature of the charge which, on conviction, attracts life imprisonment. He then adjourned the case to Sept. 21, for commencement of trial.

We had reported before now that the APC Chieftain was alleged to have detained Blessing on June 20th, 2018 at Etegwe area of Yenagoa with an intent to defile her and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 155 of the Criminal Code.

On count two, Kpodo, a former Security Adviser in the state, was said to have on the same day he allegedly detained the girl raped her thereby committing an offence punishable under section 285 of the Criminal Code.

Few months ago also, an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court ordered the remand of a 58-year-old man, Franklin Adeyanju, in Kirikiri Prisons for allegedly defiling his neighbour’s five-year-old daughter. The accused, a politician, who resides at 24, Tijani Street, Dopemu, a suburb of Lagos, was tried for defilement.