Romanus Okoye
A 55-year-old man, Abdulrouf Akande, yesterday appeared before Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court over alleged defilement of a 10-year-old girl and was remanded in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, Lagos, pending legal advice.
The police charged Akande, who resides at No. 5 Agric Road, Egan Igando, Lagos, with defilement.
Chief Magistrate Peter Nwaka, who however, did not take the plea of Akande, ordered the police to return the case file to the Lagos Director of Public Prosecutions and adjourned the case until September 30, for mention.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, ASP Benson Emuerhi alleged that Akande committed the offence on May 15 at about 1 p.m., at his residence. He said that the defendant lured the girl to his room and defiled her, adding that the case was reported at the Igando Police Station.
The offence contravenes the provision of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which prescribes up to life imprisonment on conviction.