MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 60-year old man, Yusuf Salaudeen, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly drugging a 14-year old girl to unconsciousness and engaging her in sex in the process.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened on 12th September, 2024, at Poultry Oyinbo bus stop in Ayobo area of Lagos, where they reside.
According to the Police, the suspect lured the victim to his apartment, gave her a substance suspected to be drug to drink and she became unconscious.
He reportedly took her to his bed, stripped her naked, used a white cloth to cover her mouth and forcefully engaged her in sex to his satisfaction.
The matter got exposed after the victim regained her senses and informed her father about what happened. The matter was reported to the Police at Ayobo Division and the man was arrested and detained at the station for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
After interrogation, the Police found him culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace and defilement under the Criminal Laws of the State.
The charges read:
“That you, Yusuf Salaudeen, on the 12th of September, 2024 at about 1000hrs at Poultry Oyinbo Bus Stop, Ayobo, Lagos in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by forcefully giving the victim a substance to drink and also using a white cloth to cover her mouth and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 246 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state of Nigeria 2015.”
“That you, Yusuf Salaudeen, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did defile the victim by forcefully stripping her naked and laying her down on your bed before you had carnal knowledge of her and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
However, the Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Inspector John Iberedem, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. E. Kubenije, ordered his remand in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s legal advice and directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send it to the DPP.
The matter was adjourned till 22nd October, 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.