MICHAEL AKINOLA
It was double trauma for a 15-year old girl in Lagos State, who was allegedly raped and impregnated by their neighbour as her aunt took her to an auxiliary nurse, who induced crude abortion on her.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the 46-year old neighbour, Ifeanyi Fred, her aunt, Gift Odini, 36 and the auxiliary nurse, Shabi Oluwaseyifunmi, 40, have all been arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in the dastardly act.
The alleged defilement took place at No. 8, Titilayo Soetan Street, Ifako, Gbagada area of Lagos, where the suspect, Fred, resides with the victim’s aunt.
It was gathered that when her aunt discovered that the victim was pregnant, she arranged with the nurse, Shabi Oluwaseyifunmi and terminated the pregnancy. But one of their neighbours, who knew what happened, reported to a human rights group and the suspects were arrested by the Police for their conduct.
While Ifeanyi Fred was charged for defilement, which attracts several years of imprisonment or life imprisonment, the two other suspects were charged for conspiracy and Inducement of abortion, which attracts several years of imprisonment as well.
Consequently, they were brought before the Ogba Magistrate Court presided by the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, for the various crimes and the two women were granted bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum.
However, the Court did not take the plea of the first defendant, Fred and ordered him to be remanded in custody at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the outcome of the legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The matter was adjourned till 22nd May, 2024, 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.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Supol Raji Akeem, told the Court that the offences were committed between February and March 2024 where the first defendant, who lives in the same compound with the victim, raped and got her pregnant.
The prosecutor said that the victim’s aunt, who is the second defendant, took her to the third defendant for abortion and some drugs were given to her to terminate the one month pregnancy.
Supol Akeem stated that one of their neighbours got the information and reported the case to the human rights office and their offences contravened Sections 137 and 236 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The two defendants were also remanded in the correctional centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when they will perfect their bail conditions.