One Kehinde Paul who allegedly raped a two-year-old girl, has been arraigned before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.
The mother of the victim, Mrs. Mercy Ofaghae gave her evidence in court as the prosecution first witness, and narrated how her neighbour, Kehinde raped her daughter.
The complainant was said to have first reported the matter on January 13, a day after the incident occurred.
Mrs Mercy said, “That fateful night, my daughter was running temperature as a result of teething. I called my neighbour and friend, Mrs. Layode Paul, the wife of the accused, who brought paracetamol for my daughter and advised me to bathe her. This was 3 weeks after my husband travelled out of the country, precisely on the 12th of January.”
“I waited till the next morning to study her reaction to the drug but it didn’t suppress her temperature, so I decided to go out to get another form of medication for my daughter. I left my daughter with my neighbour’s husband, the accused, because the wife had gone to the salon.
“When I got back home with the drug, Mr. Kehinde’s door was locked and after knocking, I had to wait for about an hour before he opened the door; he claimed he was in the bathroom. When he eventually did, I took my daughter to our apartment and I took off her clothes to bath her before administering the drug,” she added.
“I screamed when I wanted to remove her pants as I noticed sperm on it. Neighbours rushed into my apartment to see what the matter was. The defendant was also among those who came in and he asked me if I was accusing him of raping my daughter. At that point, another neighbour slapped him, saying the defendant had finally exposed himself,” the woman said.
The victim’s mother said the two-year-old was rushed to a hospital and after being tested, the doctor confirmed that she was sexually abused.
Mrs Mercy went further to say she was astonished when she realized what her neighbour’s husband had done to her 2-year-old baby.
“Though his family members begged me not to disclose the shameful act, it seemed my daughter was not the first victim because the defendant’s brother confirmed this,” she said.
Although Kehinde pleaded not guilty, he was ordered to be remanded in prison custody.
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