A 35-year-old man, Yusuf Umaru, of No 14, Eketunde Street in Anibaba Area of Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos State, on Thursday, appeared before an Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court in the state for allegedly raping the 15-year-old great-grand daughter of his landlady.
The accused, who is facing a charge of unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl, has reportedly denied the charge.
The Prosecutor, Mr Iyabode Johnson, told the court that the accused committed the offence on September 15 in an empty room at the said address.
According to him, “The victim usually visits her great-grandmother at every Eid-el-kabir (Ileya festival).
“At every ‘ileya’ festival that the girl came visiting, the accused usually raped her and would threaten her not to report the case to anyone unless she wanted to die.
“But during this year’s ‘Ileya’ festival held in September, the girl could not bear it anymore and summoned the courage to report the matter to her great-grandmother who is the accused’s landlady.”
Johnson noted that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which states that any person who has sexual intercourse with a child is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for life.
In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. A.A. Oshiniyi, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties that must be house owners in Ikorodu Magisterial District.
According to Oshiniyi, such sureties must also be working in an established firm.
She then adjourned the case till December 3 for mention.
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