CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A 31-year-old man, Amos Ngbede, has been remanded in custody at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly raping a 21-year-old non-verbal physically challenged lady in Shasha, Lagos.
Ngbede was arraigned before the Ogba Magistrate Court presided over by Mrs. M.O. Tanimola following his arrest by operatives of the Gender Section, Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja.
The prosecutor, ASP Lucky Ihehie, told the Court that the incident happened on 7th October, 2026, at about 11:05 a.m. at No. 49, Oluwatoyin Street, Shasha, Lagos.
According to the charge, the defendant allegedly entered the parents’ room of the 21-year-old victim, one Edna Eromosele, who is physically challenged and non-verbal, and had unlawful carnal knowledge of her.
The Police further alleged that after the act, the 31-year-old defendant threatened the 21-year-old non-verbal victim that he would kill her if she reported to anyone.
Police records showed that the case was first reported at Shasha Division by the victim’s mother, Christy Ernest, 43, of No. 49, Oluwatoyin Street, before it was transferred to the Gender Unit, Ikeja, on 9th October, 2026, for discreet investigation.
The mother was said to have caught the suspect after he allegedly opened her door without knocking and took to his heels when she asked who was there. She pursued and grabbed him.
It was at that point that her 21-year-old non-verbal daughter allegedly used sign language to inform her mother that the suspect had been coming to their room to have unlawful intercourse with her on two previous occasions.
An affidavit in support of remand was deposed to by ASP Mariam Olowo of the Gender Section with the consent and authority of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State. The affidavit stated that the suspect was arrested, made a statement to the Police, and that the case file needed to be duplicated and sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for legal advice.
The defendant was charged on two counts.
Count I: Rape punishable under Section 260 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015. Section 260 provides that any person who has unlawful sexual intercourse with another without consent or with consent obtained by force, intimidation or threat, commits the offence of rape and is liable on conviction to life imprisonment.
Count II: Threat to life punishable under Section 56 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015. Section 56 provides that any person who, with intent to intimidate or cause fear, threatens to kill another person, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment.
His plea was not taken as the Magistrate Court lacks jurisdiction to try rape cases.
Magistrate Tanimola ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Centre, Kirikiri Town, pending the outcome of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP, at the Ministry of Justice.
The Court directed that the duplicate case file be forwarded to the DPP for advice and adjourned the matter accordingly.
He is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a Court of competent jurisdiction.