A 13-year old boy, Richard Kalu, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State over alleged rape of a 7-year old boy through anal penetration.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Ezekiel Street, off Unity Close, Ikeja area of Lagos, where they reside.
The Police alleged that the suspect on 1st June, 2023, sexually assaulted the 7-year old boy by forcefully engaging him in anal sex.
The alleged offence contravened Section 261 of the criminal code of the state, which attracts several years of imprisonment despite the fact that he is still a minor.
The matter was reported to the Police at Ikeja Division and he was arrested. He was later transferred to the Gender Section of the Command for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence.
But when he was arraigned, the Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the Police prosecutor, DSP Kehinde Ajayi, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. E. Kubenije, ordered his remand in the Juvenile Centre pending the outcome of DPP’s advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned till 11th July, 2023, for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be ready, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.