MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 25-year old man, Auwal Ahmed, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly engaging a 13-year old girl in sex after handing her N200 inside a Mosque but was later exposed by the victim.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Akinsanya Street, lju Ishaga. Lagos, where the Mosque is located.
The victim also mentioned a 13-year old boy, Destiny Victor, who also engaged her in sex after the ugly incident at the Mosque by Ahmed.
Both Ahmed and Victor have been charged before the Ebute Metta Magistrate Court for the alleged defilement and unlawful carnal knowledge of the victim respectively.
According to the Police, the suspect took advantage of the victim, who was returning from school and met at the Mosque, where he begged him for N200 and he obliged on the condition that he will sleep with her. He then lured her into it and later gave her the money. The second suspect, Victor, also lured her to a room and gave his younger brother money to go and buy something before he forcefully engaged her in sex.
However, the act was exposed, the victim confessed and mentioned the suspects. They were arrested and transferred to the Gender Section of the State Police Command for interrogation over their alleged conduct.
After interrogation, the Police found them culpable and charged them before the Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Auwal Ahmed ‘m’, sometimes in the year 2024, at Akinsanya Street, lju Ishaga. Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile the victim ‘f 13years old by having unlawful camal knowledge of her and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT II: “That you, Destiny Victor ‘m’, in the month of January. 2025. at Enilolobo Street, Isale-Odo, Oke-Aro, lju – Ishaga, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did have unlawful carnal knowledge of the victim f 13years old and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
However, the Court did not take their plea after the prosecutor, Supol Paul Ugorji, moved a motion asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O.M. Ajayi, ordered their remand in custody at the correctional center 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 advice to be available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
However, the second defendant was remanded in the juvenile center because of his age as a minor as requested by the Police in their affidavit before the Court.
