Alfred Chikere, a 38-year-old man, has been remanded in a custodial centre.

He was remanded by a Rivers State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Port Harcourt for allegedly eloping with a 12-year-old girl and defiling her.

The court also ordered that the girl be sent to the Port Harcourt Remand Home for saying that she willingly consented to sexual activities with the accused.

Chikere was arraigned before Senior Magistrate C. J. Digwe for abducting the girl with intent to have carnal knowledge of her.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, ASP Omurujia, argued that the claim by the accused that the girl gave consent did not apply as someone below 18 years could not give sexual consent.

Digwe ordered that Chikere be remanded in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre until his bail application would be entertained.

He was alleged to have camped the girl in his house for one month, claiming that she was his girlfriend, while the victim’s mother and the police were searching everywhere for her.

A neighbour, who saw the girl, took her to the Olu Obasanjo Police Station, Port Harcourt, and her mother was informed, leading to Chikere’s arrest and consequent arraignment.