An Ebonyi State Magistrates ’ Court , sitting in Abakaliki, on Monday , arraigned a 22-year- old woman , Nkeiruka Winifred , and two men , Chijioke Obasi , 47; and Stanley Mbam , 30 , for alleged involvement in unlawful marriage in the state.

It was gathered that the first suspect , Winifred , allegedly went into another marriage with the third accused person , Mbam , while her marriage with one Dr Solomon Nwankwo , still subsisted .

Southern City News further learnt that the accused persons committed the offence at Hausa Quarters and Mbam Street , in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on October 26, 2019 .

The suspects were arraigned before the Magistrate’ s Court on Monday , on three counts of conspiracy, bigamy and fraud .

The police prosecutor , ASP Mathias Eze, told the court that the offence was punishable under sections 516 A ( a ) , 370 and 419 ( A ) of the Criminal Code Cap . 33 , Vol. 1 , Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria , 2009 .

According to Eze, bigamy means a situation whereby a woman is married to two husbands after contracting a statutory marriage .

The charge read , “ That you Nkeiruka Winifred ‘ f’ , Chijioke Obasi ‘ m ’ and Stanley Mbam ‘ m ’ all of Hausa Quarters and Mbam Street respectively , in the Abakaliki Magisterial District , on October 28, 2019 , did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit ; bigamy and thereby commit an offence punishable under section 516 A ( a ) of the Criminal Code Cap . 33, Vol. 1 , Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria , 2009 .

“ That you Nkeiruka Winifred ‘ f’ , Stanley Mbam ‘ m ’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District , did contract a fresh marriage with one another when the union between Nkeiruka Winifred ‘ f’ and one Dr Solomon Nwankwo contracted on September 28 , 2017 , at the Magistrate’ s Court Registry Ozubulu Nnewi, Anambra State, still subsists and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 370 of the Criminal Code Cap . 33, Vol. 1 , Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria , 2009 .

Source:- Punchng