Man in court for raping physically challenged girl in Ogun

Slain pregnant Azeezat buried in Ibadan
For allegedly raping a physically challenged girl, one Oluwafemi Kehinde was arraigned in Ota Magistrates’ Court, Ota, Ogun State, yesterday. The 35-year-old man, who lives at No., 36 Success Street, Abule Isale, Ilogbo Road, Ota, is facing a one-count charge of rape.

The prosecutor, Inspector E.O. Adaraloye, told the court that the defendant committed the offence at his residence at about 10:30p.m. on February 12, 2020.
Adaraloye said the defendant had the carnal knowledge of the complainant, knowing that she is physically challenged.

The offence contravened Section 360 of the Criminal Code Vol.1, 2006, the prosecutor insisted, but the defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The magistrate, Mrs A.O. Adeyemi, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum. She demanded that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and be gainfully employed with evidence of tax payment to Ogun State government before adjourning the case till June 19 for trial.

The Ogun State governor, Dr. Dapo Abiodun and his wife, Bamidele, had, on Monday, led a protest against the increasing cases of rape and gender-based violence in the country. The Ogun State first family were joined by activists and top government officials in the protest in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Also, the Secretary to the Cross River State Government, Tina Banku Agbor, has frowned on the upsurge of rape cases in the state and the country. In a reaction to the alleged raping of a minor by his grandfather in Calabar yesterday, Agbor said such acts could not be tolerated and must stop.

She described the act as “barbaric and cruel as it has the tendency to destroy the emotional and psychological lives of the victims,” calling on the media, faith-based organisations and other civil rights groups to join hands with the government and the Mediatrix Foundation, an initiative of the wife of the state governor, Dr. Lynda Ayade, to stem the tide of the menace in the state.

The SSG expressed confidence that the perpetrators of the act would be brought to book and there would be justice for the victims. Recalled that two weeks ago, a 73-year-old retired army captain was nabbed by the police in Calabar for raping his four-year-old niece.

In another development, the body of the 29-year-old pregnant woman, Azeezat Shomuyiwa, who was murdered by unknown assailants, was committed to mother earth yesterday. Azeezat was buried at Akinyele area of Ibadan, Oyo State.

However, ahead of her burial, her body had undergone an autopsy at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, where a Janaza prayer was also be observed on her body. Since she was murdered by unknown assailants last week, the Nigerian Police Force have sworn to carry out an investigation and bring the culprits to book as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, governors of the 36 states would today (Wednesday) receive briefing from the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF) on violence against women and children, especially rape.

Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the Head of Media and Public Affairs for the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the issue would be discussed because it had become a national emergency as the tragedy becomes unabated in the country.

Bello-Barkindo said the governors would receive memoranda from various groups, including a statement from the NGSF, headed by the wife of the NGF Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Bisi Fayemi, at the 10th teleconference meeting since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown that resulted therefrom.

He said the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Talen, would interface with governors on critical gender issues, including rape and sexual violence in the country.

The NGF spokesman said the teleconference meeting scheduled for 2:00 p.m. would also be used to review the COVID-19 situation in various states and advance or evolve more pragmatic ways of dealing with the pandemic, going forward.