MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 43-year old man, Augustine Ekerette, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly defiling his 17-year old step daughter and impregnating her in the process.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Plot 124, GRA in Ogunla area of Lagos, where they reside.
The Police alleged that the suspect forcefully engaged the step daughter in sex and warned her not to tell anyone about what he had done and she kept it because it was considered a shameful act.
However, the whole thing got exposed when she fell sick and was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment. A test was conducted on her and the result showed that she was pregnant.
She then opened up and mentioned that the step father was responsible. She narrated how he lured her and forcefully engaged her in sex, which led to the pregnancy.
The matter was reported to the Police; the man was arrested by the Police in the area and transferred to the Gender Section of the Lagos State Command for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
After rounds of interrogation, the Police found him culpable and subsequently charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.
However, the Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, ordered his remand in custody at the Correctional Centre 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.
The matter was adjourned till 4th October, 2023, for mention for the 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.