16-yr-old arraigned for allegedly defiling 2-yr-old

A 16-year-old, Azeez  Ganiyu, who allegedly defiled a two-year-old  girl, was on Tuesday arraigned in  an Apapa Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Ganiyu, who resides at Ijora Badia area of Lagos, is standing trial for child rape.

The Prosecutor, Soji Ojaokomo, told the court that the accused committed the offence on April 16 at the same address.

Ojaokomo said the accused called the girl and lured her into a lonely place while her mother went to get food for her.

“Ganiyu took the girl to an uncompleted building beside the house and defiled her.

“Her mother started looking for her child on her return and she asked her neighbor, who said she left the girl to play outside with other children.

“The mother said while she was searching for her child, she heard her screaming from an uncompleted building beside the house.

“When she got there, she saw Ganiyu satisfying his carnal desires with the child,” he said.

He said the offence contravened the provisions of  Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

In his ruling, the Magistrate, Patrick Adekomaiya, ordered that the case file should be forwarded to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 137 prescribes life imprisonment for defilement of a minor.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to May 5 for  receipt of legal advice.