A man who claimed to be a man of God identified as Marvelous Agu, 23, has been remanded in prision by an Ebonyi State Magistrates’ Court for alleged involvement in rape.

According to Punch, Agu was remanded in prison custody on Friday after having canal knowledge of a 21-year-old woman in an uncompleted building while pretending to be prophesying to her.

The accused allegedly committed the offence on Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Abakaliki, in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state.

Agu was arraigned before the magistrates’ court on one count of unlawful sexual intercourse.

The police prosecutor, Mathias Eze, told the court that the offence was punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

The charge read, “That you, Marvelous Agu, sometime in July, 2019, at No. 5 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Abakaliki, within the Abakaliki Magisterial District, did, while pretending to prophesy, unlawfully had canal knowledge of a 21-year-old girl, thereby committing an offence.”

The defence counsel, E.O. Ekuma, applied for the bail of the defendant.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Nnenna Onuoha, said the matter was beyond the jurisdiction of the court and declined the bail application.

Onuoha directed that the accused be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, while the case file should be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

She adjourned the case till March 6, 2020, for report of compliance.