A 46-year old man, Adekunle Olawale, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly defiling his neighbour’s 8-year old girl.
The incident happened in Ebute Metta area of Lagos for the pass one year before he was eventually caught.
He was subsequently charged before the Yaba Magistrate Court for defilement under the Criminal Laws of the State, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.
The Police alleged that the defendant, Olawale, had lured the girl into his apartment severally and defiled her but then warned her not to tell anyone about it including her parents.
She kept it to herself until sometime in 2023, when 6exposed him and informed her parents.
The matter was reported to the Police at Sabo Division and Olawale was arrested. He was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for further investigation over his alleged conduct.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found him culpable and then charged him before the Court for the alleged offence under Section 137 of the criminal code of the State.
The Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Thomas Nurudeen, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. P.E. Nwaka, ordered his remand in custody at the Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of DPP’s advice to be made available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.