A magistrate court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, approved the transfer of Moses Armstrong’s alleged rape case to the state high court.

Police apprehended the actor in June on suspicion of raping a young child. He allegedly carried out the act with a 16-year-old girl about three years ago.

The alleged victim, who was reported to be studying abroad in Nigeria, recently made a return trip and petitioned the wife of the state governor on the rape allegation.

A prosecution motion to remand the actor was dismissed by Judge Moreen Udoka during the actor’s arraignment on Tuesday.

When A. Nyongessien, the prosecutor, indicated that the lawsuit had been filed at the state supreme court, the judge threw it out.

This indicates that the state supreme court would hold a hearing on the lawsuit later.

The new development makes it the second time that the lawsuit would be dismissed by a different court.

At the time of the actor’s arraignment last month, Nyongessien had earlier asked the court to also remand him.

However, the first judge to hear the case, Samuel Ukoima, had likewise thrown out the lawsuit for being without merit.

In response to the rape allegation, the actor had previously been suspended by the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).