A scheduled court appearance in the alleged defilement case involving a 7-year-old girl in Nekede, Owerri West LGA, drew a large turnout of legal representatives, advocacy groups, and community members on June 19, 2026.
The matter stems from an incident in which Mr. Godfrey Enyereibe Amadi, 70, and Mr. Sidney Onyemere, 70, both of Nekede, were arrested on May 14, 2026 for allegedly defiling a 7-year-old girl from the same community.
On June 18, 2026, the police produced only one suspect, Mr. Sidney Onyemere, for arraignment. Mr. Godfrey Enyereibe Amadi was not presented. According to lawyers for the victim and representatives of civil organizations present, they had been shown case files hours earlier indicating that both suspects would be arraigned together.
The presiding Magistrate expressed displeasure and warned public officials against actions that compromise their duty. The court ordered the police to produce Mr. Amadi on June 19, 2026, for the arraignment of both suspects.
On June 19, 2026, Mr. Amadi was brought to court as directed, but was not presented for arraignment. Police Prosecutor, DSP O.E. Osegbo, stated that his case file was not immediately available. The Magistrate then issued a court order mandating the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, to produce the suspect with his complete case file on Thursday, June 25, 2026, by 9:00 a.m. A copy of the court order has been obtained.
Court observers reported that a vehicle holding Mr. Amadi was parked outside the court premises and that several individuals approached the vehicle for conversations at different times.
Several lawyers and staff members appeared for the young victim. They included officials from the Imo State Department of Welfare and Women Affairs, the Child Protection Network, Human Rights Watch, RULAAC, and other civil society organizations. Family members and relatives of the victim were also in attendance.
Representing Mr. Amadi were two men identified as Uzoma Oguzie and Onochie Aharanwa, both said to be in their late 30s.
Also present for Mr. Godfrey Enyereibe Amadi was a man identified by sources as the “Eze-Elect” of the community. Witness accounts state that he was seen approaching the police vehicle holding Mr. Amadi and engaged him in conversation during the proceedings.
The victim’s mother lamented that community elders had shown more solidarity with the defendants than empathy and concern for her daughter and family. Sources noted several reports of elders visiting the police cell to show solidarity with the defendants, while they did not check on the little girl and her family. These reports, coupled with accounts that past defilement cases reported to the council of elders did not result in action, have reinforced public concerns about a culture of coverups in the village, especially regarding defilement and rape matters.
The victim’s mother has alleged that associates of the defendants are responsible for attempts to influence witnesses in this case. According to her, these actions constitute an attempt to obstruct justice by encouraging a witness to change her account of material facts. This has generated concern among residents and youth groups in Nekede.
Community members expressed outrage, noting that encouraging a witness to provide false information in a criminal matter can constitute obstruction of justice under Nigerian law. Section 182 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 36 of the Imo State Violence Against Persons Prohibition, VAPP, Law No. 8 of 2021, address perversion of justice and witness intimidation.
The case has renewed public discussion about past incidents where defilement cases reported to community leadership structures in the area did not result in action.
The Nigeria Police Force, Imo State Command, has not issued an official statement on the allegations at the time of this report.
