Police operatives from the Lagos State Command have arrested a 43-year old man, Abdulwahab Dauda, for allegedly defiling his neighbour’s 14-year old girl inside Military Cantonment.
The incident happened on 3rd March, 2025, at CBQ 67, Room 11, TA Lagbaja Arena Cantonment, Ikeja, Lagos.
The matter was reported to the Military authorities and the suspect was apprehended and handed over to the operatives from the Gender Section of the Lagos State Police Command for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
According to the Police, the suspect lured the victim to his apartment and got her confused before engaging her in the act and thereafter allowed her to go having satisfied himself.
However, the information leaked to the victim’s parents and she revealed what happened. She claimed that she was lured into it by the suspect. The matter was reported to the Military Command for interrogation. He was found culpable and handed over to the Police for prosecution.
The suspect has been arraigned before the Ogba Magistrate Court for defilement, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charge read:
“That you, Abdulwahab Dauda ‘m’, on the 3rd of March 2025, at about 12 noon at CBQ 67, Room 11, TA Lagbaja Arena Cantonment, Ikeja -Lapes in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile the victim ‘f 14years by forcefully having unlawful carnal knowledge of her and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
The Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Inspector Lucky Ihiehie, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. M.O.Tanimola, ordered his remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice 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 available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.
It was not confirmed if the defendant was still a serving or retired military officer living in the cantonment.