CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A 29-year-old hotel manager, Oluwatobi Elijah, has been arrested and charged before the Court in Lagos State for defilement after he allegedly lured a 16-year old girl and forcefully engaged her in sex romp armed with a knife.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Alapere area of Ketu, where he resides.
He was charged before the Ogudu Magistrates Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment if he is tried and found guilty.
The prosecutor, Inspector Donjor Perezi, told the Court that the defendant committed the offence on 17th January, 2023, at his residence after he lured the teenager to his room when she was coming back from school, brought out a knife with the threat that he would stab her if she refused.
“Elijah covered the victim’s mouth with his hand and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. The case was reported to the Police, and the defendant was arrested,” the prosecutor said.
Perezi said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. M.O. Tanimola, did not take the plea of the defendant following the motion moved by the prosecutor asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice.
The Court ordered that he should be kept at the Ikoyi Custodial Facility pending advice of the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and adjourned matter till 24th February, 2023, 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.