MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 57-year old teacher of Euba Junior Secondary School, Mr. Arowele Martins, in Ilasa area of Lagos State, has been arrested and charged for alleged defilement and sexual harassment of six under aged students inside the school premises.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the whole matter got exposed after the teacher allegedly defiled a 15-year old student by forcefully engaging her in sex and the victim raised alarm, which attracted other students. Other students also revealed that the teacher had as well sexually harassed them in the school.
The matter was reported to the Police in the area. The teacher was arrested and transferred to the Gender Section of the State Police Command for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
While being interrogated, the teacher initially denied but the victims confronted him and revealed more of what he did to them and he was unable to deny any longer.
The Police found him culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment and life imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Arowele Martins ‘m’, sometime in 2024, at Euba Junior Secondary School Mushin, Ilasa Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile the victim, ‘f’ 15years, by having forceful carnal knowledge of her and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, Arowele Martins ‘m’, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did sexually harass the victims aged 16,15,14,17,15 and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 264 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
The Court did not take his plea following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Inspector Lucky Ihiehie, asking the Court to give a date and refer the matter to the DPP for legal advice.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. M.O.Tanimola, ordered his remand in custody at the correctional center 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 for legal advice.
The matter was adjourned for mention for the report of the DPP’s advice to be ready, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.