An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court recieved in physical appearance of a mother (name withheld) who narrated how her three daughters wwre allegedly defiled by a cleric.
According to report, the mother narrated the sad incident as the second prosecution witness in the trial of one Ibrahim Idris, a 26-year-old cleric.
Gbenga Alagbe, the state counsel led the mother of six in evidence as she disclosed that she knew about the alleged defilement from a teacher in the school her daughters attend.
“A mother had seen her and took her back into the school and when she saw a male teacher she was scared because Idris was sleeping with her anytime she sees a male teacher, she becomes becomes withdrawn and scared ,” the mother said.
The mother said following the revelation, she took her children home from school and her husband who was not around during that period, arrived two days later on Aug. 11, 2017.
“We asked him about the allegations and he insisted nothing happened. We took him to the police station for questioning and we were referred to the Mirabel Center at Ikeja for medical examinations.
“I had asked Daughter B (9-years-old) about the allegations and she said it was true, I had asked Daughter A (12-years-old) about the allegations but she was afraid to tell me what happened.
“However, when we got to the police station, Daughter A told me what had happened,” the mother said.
While being cross-examined by the defence counsel, Lekan Ijelu, the mother said the defendant had been living with her family when he allegedly committed the crimes.
“He lived with us for seven or eight years, when he was living with us permanently, he used to go for his Islamic classes in the morning around 8am and returns around 5pm.
“When he was temporarily residing with us, he used to stay on Fridays to Sundays,” she said.
Following her evidence, the state prosecutor appealed to the presiding judge to address the mother in order to ensure that the mother brings her three daughters to court to testify against Ibrahim.
“My lord, the witness said that she did not want to bring her daughters to testify, because she feels it may be traumatic for them,” Alagbe said.
Responding, Justice Sybil Nwaka told the mother that preventing her children from coming to court will amount to the offence of obstruction of justice.
“The children are victims they must come to court to testify. This case is not your case, it is the case of the Lagos State Government.
“You reported the case, the children must come to court to testify, that is the process and procedure if not you will be regarded as a hostile witness and that is an offence,” Justice Nwaka said and adjourned the case until March 4.
