A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded a 22-year-old man, Emmanuel Chukwu for allegedly assaulting and defiling a 16-year-old girl in Lagos.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Chukwu, whose address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of assault and defilement to which he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, ASP Thomas Nurudeen, told the court that the accused had unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl and told her not to tell anyone about it.
He said, “The complainant started noticing some changes in her body and had to confide in her older sister who then discovered that she was pregnant.
“My Lord, when the girl told him about the pregnancy in the presence of her sister, he beat her up for telling her sister about what had transpired between him and the girl.
Nurudeen also stated that the girl was not the first person the accused had defiled in his (accused’s) neighbourhood.
Ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs K.B. Ayeye, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.
Ayeye said that one of the sureties should be related to the accused while both sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The offences contravene Sections 137 and 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 with Section 137 stipulating life imprisonment for offenders.
She adjourned the case until March 4 for mention.
