Justice Abiola Soladoye of a Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Ikeja, yesterday heard how a sales girl, Chinwendu Onwuasoanya, abducted a 12-year-old girl from her guardian.
  
Onwuasoanya, who allegedly committed the offence at Omo-Onile Lake view area of Abule Ado, was charged for alleged abduction of a minor by Lagos State government.
  
At the resumed hearing yesterday, a prosecution witness, Inspector Funmilayo Alaye, who was led-in-evidence by the state’s counsel, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, narrated how she tracked the defendant’s phone number before her arrest.
 
Alaye said on June 13, 2022, a case of child abduction was reported by the complainant at the Trade Fair Divisional Police Station, and the case was referred to her for investigation. She said the complainant narrated that she employed the defendant (Onwuasoanya) as a sales girl in Omo-Onile Lake view area of Abule Ado.
  
The police officer further told the court that a senior officer in the station obtained her statement as well as the victim’s statement. She added that the defendant was charged to the Customary Court in Ojo.
  
“The abducted girl was 12 years old and the complainant, Ruth Dunu, had taken her back to her parents in the village,” the witness said. When the prosecution counsel sought to tender the statement of the victim, as an exhibit, the defence counsel, H. O. Adudu objected to the admissibility of the statement on the grounds that it was not tendered through her.
  
In her response, Adegoke said the document forms part of the recorded investigation conducted by the Investigation Police Officer (IPO). In a bench ruling, Justice Soladoye dismissed the defence counsel’s objection, admitted the document in evidence and marked it as exhibit C.The judge held that the victim’s statement is relevant and is admissible in evidence, and adjourned further hearing to September 26.