KINGSLEY EBERE
A 44-year old driver, Godwin Waheed, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State over alleged kidnapping, detention, and sexual defilement of a teenage girl while armed with a knife on Third Mainland Bridge.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Waheed, has been arraigned before the Yaba Magistrate Court before Magistrate Patrick Nwaka on two counts bordering on unlawful confinement, detention and defilement of his supposed passenger under the Criminal law of the State.
According to the Police, Waheed was alleged to have conveyed the victim as a passenger in his Toyota Sienna, between 8 and 10pm after which he kidnapped, detained and defiled her by using a knife to threaten the girl to undress inside his car and after which he penetrated her.
However, he ran out of luck ran when the fuel in his vehicle finished and he could not run away from the scene. He was then apprehended and handed over to the Police for prosecution.
The Police prosecutor, Supol Thomas Nurudeen, told the Court that the defendant committed the offence on 15th October, 2023, from 8pm to 10pm on Third Mainland Bridge, which violated Sections 272 and 26 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Nurudeen, asking the Court to remand the defendant at the correctional centre pending legal advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
Thus, the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. P. Nwaka, ordered that Waheed be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending legal advice from the DPP and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned till 15th January, 2024, for mention for the report of DPP’s advice to be made available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.