MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 39-year old man Innocent Okorie has landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly luring two minors, aged 13 and 15, into sex romp after fondling, sucking their breasts and getting them confused in the process.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Mogaji Street, Ile-Ibadan area of Ijegun in the outskirts of Lagos, where they reside.
The suspect, Okorie, has been arrested for having unlawful sex with the victims at the same time in his room.
The alleged act leaked and the victims confessed, which led their parents to initially report the matter at Isheri Oshun Division and alleged Okorie to have raped the girls.
The Police then arrested and later transferred Okorie to the SCID Yaba, Lagos, for interrogation over the conduct, which attracts several years of imprisonment if he is tried and found guilty before the Court.
During interrogation, he admitted to have done so with their consent and as such it was not a case of statutory rape as claimed by the girls parents.
However, the Police found him culpable because the victims are still minors and subsequently charged him before the Yaba Magistrates Court for the alleged offence.
When he was arraigned, the Court did not take his plea after the prosecutor, Supol Thomas Nurudeen, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice in order to ascertain the status of the alleged offence and jurisdiction.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. P.E. Nwaka, ordered his remand in the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when the DPP’s report will be ready and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
The matter, accordingly to Police sources, will likely be transferred to the High Court for trial if the DPP finds him culpable and recommends his trial for the alleged offence.