A 43-year old man, Uchechukwu James, may spend the rest of his life in prison custody over alleged sex with his neighbour’s 14-year old girl in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the man, James, was arrested and charged before the Court for defilement.
The incident happened at Sholanke Street, Akoka area of Lagos, where they reside.
The Police alleged that the defendant lured the girl into his apartment and forcefully engaged her in sex before the information leaked. The victim was confronted and she revealed what happened to her parents.
The matter was reported to the Police in the area and James was arrested.
He was later transferred to the Gender Section of the State Police Command for further investigation over his alleged conduct.
During the interrogation, the defendant insisted that he did not force her and he had her consent before he penetrated her, as such it was not defilement as claimed by the complainant.
However, the Police found him culpable for the alleged offence because the victim is still a minor under the Law of the State and consequently charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court under Section 137 of the Criminal code.
The Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the Prosecutor, DSP Kehinde Ajayi, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice since the alleged offence was capital offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. E. Kubeinje, 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 for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be ready while the defendant was remanded in custody pending the outcome of the legal advice, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.