MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 37-year old woman, Amarachi Ugonna Philips, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for failing to prevent sexual assault on a 5-year old girl by an undisclosed man.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the victim was sexually assaulted by the perpetrator by penetration to the knowledge of the suspect, who the Police alleged to have aided the commission of the crime.
The incident happened at Apostolic Church, Richfield Estate in Lagos State.
According to the Police, the suspect deliberately failed to use reasonable means to prevent the commission of the alleged sexual assault on the victim, which the Police did not state how she did.
However, when the matter got to the Police, the suspect was arrested and transferred to the Gender Section of the Lagos State Command for interrogation over her alleged conduct.
After interrogation, the Police found her culpable and charged her before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence.
The charges read :
That you, Amarachi Ugonna Phillips, ‘f’, on the 12th day of July, 2024, at about 1400hours at Apostolic Church, Richfield Estate, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did knowingly commit felony by failing to use all reasonable means to prevent the commission of an offence to wit: sexual assault by penetration on the victim ‘f 5-year old and thereby committed an offence Punishable under Section 410 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
She pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Akeem Raji, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since she pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that she actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, granted her bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned till 9th September, 2024, for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when she will perfect her bail conditions.