A 51-year-old landlord, Ishola Idris, and his 35-year-old tenant,
Linus Okonkwo, were yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Chief
Magistrates Court for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl at his home on
No. 30 Celestial road Igando in Lagos state between January this
year to August.
They were both arraigned before Chief Magistrate Bolanle
Olufunke Osunsanmi on a two-count charge of child defilement and sexual
assault.
According to the prosecutor, Sergeant Raimi Idowu, the accused
persons made their victim a sex tool and threatened to kill her if she
told anyone.
The two-count charge against the defendants reads: “That you, Ishola
Idris sometime in January 2017 at 30, Celestial Road, Igando, Lagos did
unlawfully defile one 13 years old girl child by having sexual
intercourse with her. That you, Linus Okonkwo sometime in March 2017 at
30 Celestial Road, Igando Lagos did unlawfully sexually assault one 13
years’ old by penetrating into her vagina with your penis.”
The prosecutor told the court that the crime was made known after the
father of the victim visited the home where his daughter was staying
with her guardian who happens to be the brother of the 35-year-old
tenant. The victim confided in her father about what the men had been
doing to her.
The crime, according to the police, is punishable under Section 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants pleaded not guilty.
The Chief Magistrate Osunsanmi adjourned the case to October 12th
after granting the accused persons N500,000 bail with two sureties each
in the like sum.