A 43-year old man, Chibuzor Benjamin, who allegedly conspired with two of his neighbours, Sunday Akpan, 42 and Emmanuel Okechukwu, 51 and gang raped his 12-year old step daughter, has been arrested by the Police in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Police operatives from the Ago Okota Division arrested the step father, Chibuzor Benjamin and his accomplice, Akpan and Okechukwu and charged them for conspiracy and defilement of the victim.
The dastardly incident happened at Canal View Estate, Ago Okota area of Lagos State, where they reside.
According to the Police, the suspects gang raped the victim and had repeatedly engaged her in sex romp before the victim exposed them and revealed what had been happening to her.
The matter was reported to the Police in the area. The suspects were arrested and transferred to the Gender Section of the State Command for interrogation over their alleged conduct.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found them culpable and consequently charged them before the Yaba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Chibuzor Benjamin ‘m’, sometimes in the month of August, 2024, at No. 17, Canal View Estate, Ago-Okota, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile your step daughter, 12years old by forcefully having sexual intercourse with her severally without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT II: That you, Sunday Akpan ‘m’, sometimes in the month of August, 2024, at No. 38, Canal View, Ago-Okota, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile a 12-year old girl by forcefully having sexual intercourse with her severally without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT III:” That you, Emmanuel Okechukwu ‘m’, sometimes in the month of August 2024, at No. 47, Canal View, Ago-Okota, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile a 12-year old girl by forcefully having sexual intercourse with her severally without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State o Nigeria, 2015.”
The Court did not take their plea when they were arraigned after the prosecutor, Supol Thomas Nurudeen, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice because of the nature of the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. P.E. Nwaka, ordered their remand in custody at the correctional center pending when the DPP’s report will be ready and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned 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.