A Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ogba, Lagos, has ordered the remand of a 42-year-old man, Rasheed Ismaila, for allegedly defiling his 14-year-old housemaid.
The accused was also alleged to have given the girl illicit drugs each time he wanted to have sex with her.
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The police said the accused had been sleeping with the teenage girl for the past six months, soon after he brought her to Lagos from his home town in Kogi State.
He was arraigned by operatives from the gender section of the police command after he was arrested based on a tipoff from some neighbours.
He was arraigned on a two-count charge of defilement and rape and might be jailed for six years if found guilty.
However, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Kehinde Ajayi, asked the court to refer the matter to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for their legal opinion.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs A. O. Ajibade, ordered his remand in the correctional centre at Kirikiri, Lagos. He also directed the prosecutor to duplicate the file and send to the DPP for advice.
The matter was adjourned till April 12, 2021 for the report of DPP’s advice to be made available.
The suspect was arrested by police operatives from Ipaja division and transferred to the gender section of the command.
The incident happened at Peace Estate, Baruwa area of Ipaja, where the accused resides with his family and the girl.
