Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

A suspect, Eedetomari Taou, on trial for alleged rape and killing of the nine years old girl, Eedebari Letticia Gonis Kogbara, in Khana Local Government Area in Rivers State in November 2018 has admitted to the crime in his confessional statement to the Police.

However, the hearing in murder trial was stalled yesterday, Tuesday, July 30 at the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

The defence counsel was expected to cross-examine the father of the victim, Gonis  Kogbara, but due to the volume of cases, the trial judge adjourned the matter to 4 December, 2019 for continuation of cross examination.

Meanwhile, lawyer to the victim and Chairperson of International Federation of Female Lawyers, Ngozi Ighosebve, expressed hope that the trial will be speedy, since the suspect has wilfully made  useful confession which could aid the court.

She expressed joy over the co-operation of the prosecution counsel, who she said did a thorough investigation which promoted the suspect to confessing to the crime.

According to her, ‘’We are grateful to the Nigeria Police for wading into the matter and responding appropriately. I believe the religious background of the suspect made him to willfully confess to his crimes upon arrest.

“We also believe that the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, will do justice to the matter when the case is referred to them”.

In a 2018 report, Doctors without Borders, (Médecins Sans Frontières ) had indicated that over 60 per cent of the rape cases in Rivers were committed by male adults against minors below 13 years and downwards.