Court remands driver over alleged defilement of eight-year-old girl
An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos yesterday remanded a 52-year-old driver, Kayode Amupitan, in Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old girl.
The Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, who did not take the plea of the defendant, ordered that the case file be returned to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice. Osunsanmi adjourned the case until April 2 for mention.
Amupitan, who resides in Aboru, Ipaja, Lagos, is being tried for defilement. The prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offence on February 9 at his residence. Ayorinde said that the defendant unlawfully had canal knowledge of the minor.
He said: “The defendant lured the girl to his house with biscuits and sweets. When the girl entered his room, he undressed her and inserted his male organ into her private part. When he was through with the victim, he told her not to tell anybody, promising to buy more biscuits and sweets for the minor. Unfortunately, when the girl got home, she started bleeding and upon interrogation, she told her parents what the defendant did to her,” the prosecutor told the court.
He said that the parents of the girl reported the case to the police leading to the arrest of the defendant. Defilement violates Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and is punishable with up to life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, a former domestic worker of a high court judge, Peace Anyawu, was on Monday arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court in Igbosere for allegedly stealing jewellery valued at $38,000. Police prosecutor, Sgt. Chinedu Njoku, told the court that Anyanwu, aged 22, and two others conspired to commit the alleged offence.
Njoku said the incident took place at D5, Millennium Estate, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, between July 2019 and October 26, 2019. He said the stolen jewellery belonged to Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile.
The defendant pleaded not guilty. Anyanwu’s alleged accomplices also pleaded not guilty. Nevertheless, the court declined to grant them bail.
Magistrate Botoku ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), for legal advice. The case was adjourned until March 23.
