Court fixes April 29 to rule on alleged gang-rape of UNILAG student
There was confusion at the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Monday as Abiodun Akinpelu, accused of defiling his five-year-old niece, absconded before he was scheduled for arraignment.
The suspect, an architect, had arrived the courtroom to take his plea on two counts of indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault by penetration. However, when his case was announced, the suspect told the court that his lawyer was on his way to court.
Justice Abiola Soladoye, the presiding judge, stood down the case to enable the defence counsel get to court. When the case was called the second time, Akinpelu had disappeared from the court premises.
Speaking on the development, Mrs. Arinola Momoh-Ayokanbi, the lead state prosecutor, told the court: “The defendant was in court earlier this morning, I noticed he stepped out of the courtroom immediately he left the dock. Now that he has absconded, I humbly request for a bench warrant.”
Justice Soladoye issued a bench warrant for Akinpelu’s arrest and adjourned the case till May 7 for arraignment.
Meanwhile, Justice Abiola Soladoye of a Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, Ikeja has fixed April 29 to rule on the bail application filed by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and an undergraduate of Babcock University who allegedly gang-raped a 19-year-old female student, Miss B (name withheld)
The Lagos State government had charged: Moboluwaji Omowole, 19; Chuka Chukwu, 19; Peace Nwankama, 19; James Aguedo, 20 and Osemeka Josephine, 20 and others at large for alleged serial gang-rape of a UNILAG student within the premises of the institution. They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded in Kirikiri prison custody.
However, the defendants’ counsel told court that they had filed their applications, praying the court to grant bail to the students who had attended all court proceedings since their arraignment in March 2017.
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There was confusion at the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Monday as Abiodun Akinpelu, accused of defiling his five-year-old niece, absconded before he was scheduled for arraignment.
The suspect, an architect, had arrived the courtroom to take his plea on two counts of indecent treatment of a child and sexual assault by penetration. However, when his case was announced, the suspect told the court that his lawyer was on his way to court.
Justice Abiola Soladoye, the presiding judge, stood down the case to enable the defence counsel get to court. When the case was called the second time, Akinpelu had disappeared from the court premises.
Speaking on the development, Mrs. Arinola Momoh-Ayokanbi, the lead state prosecutor, told the court: “The defendant was in court earlier this morning, I noticed he stepped out of the courtroom immediately he left the dock. Now that he has absconded, I humbly request for a bench warrant.”
Justice Soladoye issued a bench warrant for Akinpelu’s arrest and adjourned the case till May 7 for arraignment.
Meanwhile, Justice Abiola Soladoye of a Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, Ikeja has fixed April 29 to rule on the bail application filed by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and an undergraduate of Babcock University who allegedly gang-raped a 19-year-old female student, Miss B (name withheld)
The Lagos State government had charged: Moboluwaji Omowole, 19; Chuka Chukwu, 19; Peace Nwankama, 19; James Aguedo, 20 and Osemeka Josephine, 20 and others at large for alleged serial gang-rape of a UNILAG student within the premises of the institution. They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded in Kirikiri prison custody.
However, the defendants’ counsel told court that they had filed their applications, praying the court to grant bail to the students who had attended all court proceedings since their arraignment in March 2017.
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