MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 42 year-old man, Oluwafemi Gbonegun, has landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly luring and engaging his neighbour’s 11-year old girl in sex before he was caught.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Gbonegun, has been arrested and charged for defilement.
The incident happened in January, 2023 at Kayode Yusuf Street, Morgan Estate, Ojodu area of Lagos, where they reside.
He was alleged to have lured the girl and defiled her prompting the girl’s parents to report to the Police. He was then arrested and transferred to the Gender Section of the State Police Command for interrogation and was found culpable.
He was subsequently charged to Court for the alleged offence before the Ogba Magistrate Court.
The prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, told the Court that the defendant committed the offences and was caught red-handed having canal knowledge by penetration with the minor, whom he lured into his room and defiled without her consent.
The prosecutor also stated before the Court that the defendant conducted himself in an unruly manner by having canal knowledge of the girl and the offence contravened the provisions of Section 137 of of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.
The Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Raji, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice because it was a serious offence, which attracts capital punishment under the Criminal Law in the interest of justice for both parties.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. B.O Osunsanmi, ordered the remand of the defendant in custody pending when the DPP’s report will be ready and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file and send same to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned till 10th July, 2023, for report of the DPP’s advice to be made available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.