A chef, Godwin Obot, 40, was arraigned in Lagos on Wednesday for allegedly defiling his neighbour’s eight-year-old daughter after luring the girl into his room with soft drink.
The accused was brought before a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court, charged with defilement of a minor.
Obot, however, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Kikelomo Ayeye, directed said that Obot must provide two sureties, one of whom should be a community leader.
Ayeye said that the other surety should be a civil servant on grade level 16.
She said that the accused should be remanded in prison if he failed to meet the bail conditions.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Nurudeen Thomas, told the court that Obot committed the offence on May 18 at about 2 p.m. at Esther Adeleke Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Thomas said that the accused defiled the eight-year-old when her parents were away at work.
“Obot, who knew the parents of the girl were not at home, lured her into his room with a glass of drink when she came back from school.
“The little girl slept off and when she woke up she saw that the accused was on top of her on his bed, inserting his fingers into her private part.
“She was in pain from stomach upset and bleeding when her parents came back. She explained what the accused did to her, which led to the arrest of the accused,” the prosecutor stated.
Thomas said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Section 137 stipulates that anybody, who defiles a minor, is guilty of the felony and is liable to life imprisonment.
The case was adjourned until June 7.
-NAN
