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 516A (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 516A (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.