LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – A Magistrate court sitting in Yaba, Lagos has ordered the remand of a 24-year-old man, Jacob Ekene, to the Ikoyi Correctional Center for allegedly defiling and impregnating a 14-year-old girl at her aunt’s residence in the Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
Ekene was brought before Magistrate P. E. Nwaka, facing a three count charge bordering on conspiracy, rape, and inflicting bodily harm.
The defendant was said to have carried out the act with his friend, Olamilekan Saidi.
It was gathered that the accused met the victim’s aunt in her office where she helped him with his National Identification Number card and told him to come to her house to collect the card after three days.
On the day, Ekene visited the victim’s aunt, he met only the victim at home and when he asked after the aunt, the victim told him she was not back from work.
Ekene had allegedly taken advantage of the situation, raped the 14-year-old girl and thereafter, threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened.
Ever since he perpetrated the crime, Ekene had reportedly been visiting the house and sometimes in the company of one of his friends, Saidi, who was also accused of having carnal knowledge of the minor.
Punch Metro learnt that when the victim’s aunt started noticing some changes in the girl’s body, she questioned her and during the interrogation, the victim accused Ekene of having carnal knowledge of her, and also threatened to kill her with a knife if she told anyone about it.
The aunt, upset by the news, informed the police and took her to a nearby hospital where a pregnancy test conducted on the minor revealed that she was already pregnant.
The Police, while investigating the case, arrested Ekene, but his accomplice, Saidi, fled after finding out that policemen were on his trail.
After concluding the investigation, the Police, however, charged Ekene to court for his crime .
The prosecutor, Thomas Nurudeen, said the offences contravened Sections 411,137, and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
The charge read in part: “That you, Jacob Ekene and one Olamilekan Saidi, who is still at large, on 17 October, 2022, around 3.30 pm, in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit defilement and unlawful grievous bodily harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.”
Nwaka ordered the remand of the defendant for 30 days pending legal advice from the DPP and adjourned the case till 25 May, 2023.
