motorcycle rider, Garuba Abdulraman, for allegedly defiling a two-year-old,Pat,
(pseudonym) in the Somolu area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Abdulraman, an indigene of Niger State, also kicked the minor’s pregnant aunty, Alimat Muazu, when the later quizzed him
on the child’s whereabouts.
The incident happened on Saturday on Ofor Street.
A relative of the victim, who did not identify himself, said the family did a medical test on her and it was discovered that her hymen had been
broken.
He added that the hospital subsequently placed
her on medication.
He said, “It happened on Saturday, February 21,
2015 around 11.30am.
“Pat’s mother lives in Gbagada, while her sister,
Muazu, stays at Somolu. She decided to visit
Muazu that day.
“It was during the visit that the girl suddenly
went missing and everybody started looking for
her.
“But somebody said he sighted Abdulraman, a
motorcyclist, taking her away. So, some women
trailed the child to an uncompleted building
where he lives. When they got there, they met
him and he didn’t tell them where the child was.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that there was an exchange
of words between the women and the suspect,
and in the ensuing scuffle, the suspect kicked
Muazu in the stomach.
He was also said to have threatened to use
cutlass to hack them if they moved closer.
Our correspondent was told that Abdulraman
dared the family to report to the police after
which policemen from the Somolu Division were
alerted.
A police source told our correspondent that a
case of assault was reported at the station.
He said, “When we got there, we found the girl in
one of the rooms, in a big bowl of water.
“She could barely move and when she tried, she
fell down. She began to cry. We didn’t suspect
anything until we saw that her pants and clothes
had been washed and hung on the line to dry.
The suspect was also not putting on any
clothes.”
The police were said to have taken the victim to
the hospital where it was confirmed that there
was penetration.
Abdulraman was arraigned before an Ebute Meta
Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on four
counts of rape and assault.
The suspect, who spoke through an interpreter
to the court, confirmed that he assaulted Muazu
and threatened to use cutlass on them.
He, however, denied raping the victim.
He said, “I don’t know these people from
anywhere. I had gone to their compound when
someone said he needed to buy plywoods.
“Pat came near my okada and started playing
with it, and those people said I should help them
carry her, which I did.
“After they finished buying the plywoods, they
said they could still not carry her, because they
had a lot of load to carry. They asked me to
help them.
“It was while carrying her that she soiled her
clothes and I decided to wash it for her. I never
had sex with her.”
He added that he was forced to threaten the
women with cutlass after they stoned him.
The police prosecutor, Richard Odige, told the
court that the offence was punishable under
sections 267, 137, 170 and 56 of the Criminal
Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2011.
His defence counsel, F.S. Osordi, applied for bail,
for the defendant, asking the court to overlook
Abdulraman’s guilty plea to charges of assault
and threat to injure with cutlass.
“I am not really sure he understood what he was
saying because he told me a different thing
before this court sat. We apply that the court
should order that count three be read to him
again,” he added.
The Chief Magistrate, O. I. Adelaja, however,
admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of
N300,000 with two sureties in like sum.
She said, “The sureties must show proofs of
employment, tax payment, and their addresses
must be verified.”
The matter was adjourned till April 8, 2015.
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