CITY NEWS Mother demands N.8m damages for 3 die, 6 injured in 14-year-old daughter’s pregnancy Gada Biyu auto crashes

A mother, Rhoda Joshua, has asked a Grade 1 Area Court, Karu, Abuja, to order John Okechukwu, 27, of Nasarawa State to pay her N800,000 damages for allegedly impregnating her 14-year-old daughter.

Joshua told the court yesterday that her daughter, who was a Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1 student in a school in the state, had been in sexual relationship with Okechukwu since 2016.

“My Lord, my daughter has been seeing this guy since last year when she was 13 and as a mother, I noticed she had started having sex with him.

“I warned her and even beat her to stop it but instead of bringing home a result of flying colours she brought this pregnancy nine months ago.

“I kept cautioning my daughter against the relationship and advised her to face her studies because I am a widow but she told me the guy said he wanted to marry her.

“He impregnated her while she was still in school so she had to drop out and since she took in till now that she will give birth he has never given her even one naira for her or the coming baby.

“I have been the one taking care of her, the pregnancy and her younger one and I have no support from anywhere.

“So, I am pleading with this court to order him to pay me the sum of N800, 000 in damages for causing her to drop out of school because of the pregnancy and for not taking any responsibility since my daughter became pregnant and for refusing to marry her.

“He promised to marry her but since she became pregnant he has refused to even take us to his family or take any form of responsibility,’’ Joshua said.

In his response, Okechukwu said he was not ready to get married but would be giving a little sum for the upkeep of the girl.

“My lord, she will have my baby and that is my responsibility and I will be giving a token toward that.

“Even if I don’t marry her that baby will make our relationship everlasting.

“I am also a student and cannot get married now but I will try and be giving a token for the upkeep of the baby. I am not sure of the future itself,’’ he said.

While responding to a question from the court if she was ready to get married to the respondent, the victim said she was not willing to get married to him.

“I cannot marry him because he did not keep to his words of getting married to me and taking good care of me since I became pregnant, rather he denied me and said he can’t marry me.’’

After listening to both sides, the judge, Abdullahi Baba, said the case could only be heard in a customary court.

“The issue brought by the plaintiff before this court is centred on marriage and this can only be determined by a customary court of law.

“So, let this case be transferred to the Customary Court in Karu for proper trial,’’ Baba said. (NAN) Three peoples have died while six others sustained injuries in separate accidents which happened yesterday morning at Gada Biyu village, on Abuja- Lokoja road.

Our reporter learnt that the two crashes occurred at about 9:22am while it was raining.

A witness said a Volkswagen Golf car with registration number AA 983 BMG, had a tyre burst while on high speed.

He said the car lost control and rammed into a truck parked by the road side, leaving one person dead.

Four others sustained injuries in the Golf car and were taken to the hospital,” he said.

The witness said the second accident which happened about 100 metres away from the first, involved a Daf truck with registration number XA 684 KUR and another unmarked Daf truck parked by the road side.

“The moving Daf truck was on top speed and overtook another vehicle, swerved and rammed into the parked truck. Two persons lost their lives on the spot while two others sustained injuries inside the truck,” he said.

Our reporter who arrived the scene later saw two corpses on the ground covered with clothes, while men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), came with their patrol van to collect them.

When contacted, the Abaji Unit Commander of the FRSC, Assistant Corps Commander (ACC), Olasupo Esuruaso, confirmed the accidents.

He said 12 people were involved in the crashes, and that three died while six others were injured.

He said the three corpses have been deposited at Abaji General Hospital morgue, while those with injuries were at the same hospital for treatment.