CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A 48-year-old man, Friday Israel, has been arraigned before the Ogba Magistrate Court in Lagos over alleged defilement of an 8-year-old minor in the Illogbo area of Lagos.
Israel was arraigned before Magistrate Mrs M. O. Tanimola on a one-count charge of alleged defilement, an offence said to be contrary to the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.
The prosecutor, ASP Lucky Ihehie, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offence sometime in the month of September, 2026, at Illogbo, Lagos, within the Ogba Magisterial District.
According to the charge sheet, marked Charge No. ../2026, the defendant allegedly defiled the minor by having unlawful sexual intercourse with her.
The charge reads in part that the defendant allegedly had unlawful sexual intercourse with the 8-year-old minor, an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
The prosecutor, ASP Ihehie, informed the court that the case was brought from the Gender Section, Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, after investigation into the complaint.
When the charge was read to the defendant, his plea was not taken because the Magistrate Court lacks jurisdiction to try the offence of defilement.
The prosecutor thereafter applied for the defendant to be remanded in custody pending the outcome of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP.
Magistrate Tanimola granted the application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri Town, Lagos, pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice.
The magistrate also ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to the DPP for legal advice to determine whether the defendant has a case to answer before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The case was adjourned pending the DPP’s advice.
Meanwhile, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Under the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, defilement is a serious offence which attracts severe punishment upon conviction.
The Lagos State Police Command has continued to warn members of the public, especially parents, guardians and neighbours, to protect minors and to report any case of alleged sexual abuse to the Gender Section for proper investigation.
Police sources said the Gender Section of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, is handling the investigation, while the matter will be determined by the DPP.
The court stressed that the remand order is not a conviction, but a legal procedure to enable the DPP to advise on the case.
The matter will come up again after the DPP’s advice is received.