KINGSLEY EBERE
A 51-year old man, Chinedu Okafor, has landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly engaging a 12-year old girl in an unlawful sex and was exposed by the victim.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that Mr. Okafor has been arrested and charged for statutory rape.
The incident happened at Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos.
The matter was reported to the Police in the area after the girl had informed her her parents about what happened. The suspect was arrested and transferred him to the SCID at Yaba for further investigation over his alleged conduct.
During interrogation, the man reportedly told the Police that he did not rape the girl because he did so with her consent, which the victim denied claiming that he lured her into it without her consent.
However, the Police found him culpable because the victim is still a minor under the law of the State and consequently charged him before the Yaba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence.
The charge read:
“That you, Chinedu Okafor ‘M’, on the 26th day of June, 2024 at Ibeju Lekki Lagos, in the Lagos State Magisterial District, did unlawfully have camal knowledge of the victim, 12, years and thereby committed an effence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.”
The Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned after the prosecutor, Supol Thomas Nurudeen, asked the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice because of the nature of the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. P.E. Nwaka, ordered his remand in custody at the correctional center pending the outcome of the DPP advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.