MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 55-year old man, David Ekeh, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly defiling his neighbour’s 10-year old girl.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened in 2022 at Alhaji Olutunji Street. Itire-Lagos, where they reside.
According to the Police, the suspect allegedly defiled the victim, warned her not to tell anyone about it and she kept it to herself. However, when she was no longer able keep it, she revealed what happened to her parents.
The matter was reported to the Police and the suspect was arrested. He was later transferred to the Gender Section of the Police Command for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
After interrogation at the Gender Section, the Police found him culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charge read:
“That you, David Ekeh ‘m’, sometimes in the year 2022, at Alhaji Olutunji Street. Itire-Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile the victim, 10 years old by forcefully having carnal knowledge of her and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
The Court did not take his plea after the prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, asked the Court to give a date and refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O. Kusanu, ordered his remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP’s legal advice to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
