2 men remanded for defiling minors

A Badagry Magistrates’ Court, on Wednesday, ordered that a 19-year-old man, Joseph Godwin, be remanded in prison over alleged defilement of a fouryear-old girl.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Patrick Adekomaya, ordered that the accused to be remanded in Badagry prison and adjourned the case to September 26, for further hearing.

The Prosecutor, Akpan Ikem, had told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 9pm on August 10, at No. 26 Iyegbe Street, Iba Town in Lagos State.

Ikem told the court that, “Godwin also did conduct himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by sexually assaulting a four-yearold girl by having sex with her.”

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Similarly, a trader, Akinbami Kazeem, who allegedly defiled a 12-year-old girl, was on Wednesday, remanded at the Ikoyi Prison by an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The Magistrate, Mrs. E. Kubeinje adjourned the case to September 17.

Kazeem, who resides at Ilesanmi Close, off Bello Street in Ketu area of Lagos, is facing a count charge of defiling a minor.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offence carries 14 years jail term on conviction. The Prosecutor, Lucky Ihiehie, had told the court that the accused committed the offence at his residence on August 8. Ihiehie said a neighbour in the compound (name withheld) saw how the accused lured the girl into his room under the pretext of sending her on an errand.

“The girl’s father said when he came back from work, the neighbour told him what happened, and as he threatened his daughter with a cane, she cried bitterly and confessed what happened.

“He said the girl confessed that the accused told her brother to go and buy him sweet and also called her into his room to collect money to buy him food and that she said as the accused was using his hand to rub her body, he put his penis in her buttocks, the prosecutor said.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.