File photo

 

A suspect, Eedee Tombari, who is on trial for alleged rape and killing of the 9-year-old girl, Eedebari Letticia Gonis Kogbara, in Khana Local Government Area in Rivers State in November 2018, on Tuesday, admitted to the crime in his confessional statement to the Police.

 

The 23-year-old suspect was first arrested by detectives attached to the Bori Area Command and was later transferred to the Rivers State Criminal Investigative and Intelligence Department (SCIID).

 

It was gathered that the mother of the victim, Mrs . Eedeebari Gonis- Kogbara, had taken the deceased to a church programme in Khana Local Government Area of the state.

 

The suspect was alleged to have gone in, raped her and later dumped the body of the victim at the back of the church fence, after he had discovered that the little girl had died.

 

Father of the victim, Pastor Peter Gonis - Kogbara, who is a General Overseer of a church in Bodo, said it was the traces of blood that made people to discover where the suspect dumped his dead daughter. He called on Nigerians to come to his aid and ensure that justice prevails in the matter .

 

However, the hearing in murder trial was stalled on 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.