There is a twist in the case of alleged rape of 8-year old girl by her 34-year old class teacher, Frederick Chibueze, of Adewoye Adeyemi Memorial Academy Primary School, Ebute Metta, Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS investigation revealed that one of the dates, on which the parents of the victim alleged that Chibueze raped their daughter 20th May, 2023, at the school toilet by penetration was on Saturday when the school was under lock and key as claimed by the school management.
The second date the alleged rape took place at the school premises was Thursday 18th May, 2023, when there was security at the toilet employed by the school management to guard the place.
The Police wondered how both the victim and the teacher did not come to the school premises on the day the alleged the rape took place because it was a weekend.
This has cast serious doubt on the alleged rape against the suspect, who had consistently declared his innocence and claimed that it was a frame up to send him to prison.
The suspect was arrested following a complaint by the victim’s parents that their daughter was defiled by the teacher and gave the dates when the incident happened.
He was arrested and transferred to the Gender Section of the Command for interrogation and investigation over the alleged offence.
During interrogation, the Police reportedly doubted the date especially 20th May, 2023, which the complainant alleged that the rape took place. The school management told the Police that no student or teacher came to the school premises on that day but the parents insisted that the matter should be charged to Court with the date.
However, the medical report confirmed that there was penetration and thus the Police charged the defendant before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence.
The Court did not take his plea when he was arraigned following a motion moved by the prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, asking the Court to refer the matter to the DPP for advice because of the nature of the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, ordered his remand in custody 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 till 27th July, 2023, for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri town, Lagos, for the report of the DPP’s advice to be made available, which will determine if the matter will be transferred to the High Court or not over jurisdiction.