A 50-year-old man, Kelvin Ezeigbo has
been apprehended by the police for reportedly raping a 10-year-old
pupil, Esther, by the roadside in Oke-Ira, Ogba, Lagos.
It was learnt that Esther and Ezeigbo were neigbours on Olatunde Close, where the victim resides with her aunt.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the aunt on April 26 around 9pm sent Esther on an errand and she was returning home when the suspect waylaid her.
Ezeigbo, a father of two, had reportedly
given the minor some money and persuaded her to follow him, but she
refused. It was learnt that the suspect resorted to force, dragging her
into a tricycle parked by the roadside.
Ezeigbo reportedly covered her mouth to prevent her from raising the alarm and raped her.
Our correspondent learnt that Esther, on
getting home, informed her aunt about the incident, which was reported
at the Area G Command, Ogba.
Ezeigbo, who was said to have denied
raping the girl, was arrested and arraigned by a police prosecutor,
Inspector Benedict Aigbokhan, before a magistrate’s court in Ogba on two
counts of rape.
Aigbokhan told the court presided by
Chief Magistrate T.A. Elias that the offence contravened sections 259
and 166 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
The charge read, “That you, Kelvin Ezeigbo, on April 24, 2016, at about 9pm, on Olatunde Close, Oke-Ira, Ogba, inside a Keke Marwa (tricycle) parked along the close, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did sexually assault a girl, aged 10.
“That you, on the same date, time and
place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did conduct yourself
in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by having sexual
intercourse with an underage girl, thereby committing an offence
contrary to and punishable under Section 166(d) of the Criminal Law II
Vol. 44 Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and elected summary trial.
The magistrate, admitted him to bail in the sum of N2.5m with two sureties in like sum.
Adjourning the case till June 8, Elias
ordered that Ezeigbo should be in prison custody pending when his bail
conditions would be perfected.
In another development, Elias ordered
the prison remand of a 25-year-old man, Yusuf Opeloyeru, for allegedly
raping his co-tenant’s daughter, Mary.
It was learnt that Opeloyeru and a
friend, who is still at large, had raped the 11-year-old victim on Amawo
Street, Agege, Lagos.
It was gathered that while Mary and her
friends were playing outside around 1pm on Sunday, April 17, Opeloyeru
sent her on an errand to buy food for him and his fleeing friend, whose
name had yet to be ascertained.
PUNCH Metro learnt that after
Opeloyeru and his friend had finished eating the food, they lured her
into their room to eat the remaining food.
When she entered to take the food,
Opeloyeru and his friend reportedly locked the door and they both
allegedly took turns to rape her.
Our correspondent learnt that the friends threatened that she would die if she told anyone about the incident.
Mary, who later complained of stomachache to her mother, opened up when the pain was unbearable.
It was learnt that the girl was taken to the Mirabel Centre for medical tests, which revealed that she had been defiled.
The mother thereafter reported the matter at a police station and Opeloyeru was arrested.
Opeloyeru’s wife, who was pregnant,
claimed the allegation was false, adding that she and her husband were
at home throughout that day.
