Two men – Murtala Lukman, 32, and Musibau Owolabi, 25 – have been accused of raping a 15-year-old girl (name withheld). The police said the incident happened on Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, Lagos State. It was gathered that the victim and the suspects lived in the same neighbourhood.
She was said to have been lured into the room of the suspects around 1pm on the fateful day.They were allegedly caught and handed over to the police for prosecution.
Lukman and Owolabi were arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court on two counts of rape.
The charge reads in part, “That you, Murtala Lukman and Musibau Owolabi, on May 9, 2014 at about 1pm, at 122 Adeniji Adele Road, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully have sexual intercourse with one (name withheld) without her consent.”
The police prosecutor, DSP E.J. Nkankuk, said the offence was punishable under sections 409 and 25 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Nkankuk then told the court that the Investigating Police Officer alone was in court, while the victim and her parents were indisposed.
The defence counsel, R.A. Jimoh, asked the court to grant the defendants bail in liberal terms.
The Chief Magistrate, E.B. Daodu, said, “The defendants are granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
“The sureties must be gainfully employed in a reputable organisation and must deposit N50,000 into the account of the Chief Registrar of the High Court which is refundable upon the completion of the case. They must also show evidence of tax payment for three years.”
Daodu then asked the police to take the victim to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for medical check-up and counselling as soon as possible, adding that the suspects should be remanded in prison pending when they would meet their bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned till June 18 for legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment