A supervisor at Chrisland School in Lekki, Lagos, Adegboyega Adenekan, was on Monday arraigned at an Ikeja High Court for allegedly defiling a two-year-old pupil in his care.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adenekan, 47, pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement of a child.
The Prosecution led by Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said that Adenekan committed the offence sometime in November 2016 at Chrisland School at Victoria Garden City, Lekki, Lagos.
She said that “the defendant defiled the complainant by having unlawful sexual intercourse with her.
“The offence violated Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
The alleged defilement was reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team for investigation.
NAN reports that the parents of the victim were present in court.
However, following Adenekan’s not guilty plea, his lawyer, Mr Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN), requested that the school supervisor should maintain the bail granted to him by the Magistrates’ Court in December 2016.
“The defendant was admitted to bail by Chief Magistrate Osunsanmi on December 1, 2016.
“The essence of an application for bail is to ensure that defendant stands trial.
“The state has concluded its investigations in the matter, interference by the defendant or witnesses will not arise.
“The defendant does not have a criminal record, he has been attending court proceedings and he came to court this morning voluntarily, despite being informed that he will be arraigned.
“The same sureties (his former colleague and father-in-law) that were approved by the magistrates’ court have expressed willingness to continue and they are present in court,” Adejuyigbe said
The DPP, however, opposed the SAN’s bail application.
“The gravity of the offence will make the defendant to have an urge to flee.
“Bail is discretionary and I urge your lordship to remand him in prison custody,” Shitta-Bey said.
The Judge, Justice Sybil Nwaka, to determine Adenekan’s eligibility for bail, interviewed him in the open court.
The school supervisor told the judge that although on leave, he was still employed by Chrisland School and was currently tutoring children privately to sustain himself financially.
“I still work there (Chrisland School) but I was asked to go on leave, pending the outcome of this case. I was initially being paid my salary but it was stopped last year.
“I presently do some private tutoring to sustain myself,” he said.
Nwaka queried why parents allowed him to get close to their children, considering the grievous charge against him.
Responding, Adenekan said: “The private home tutoring I do is under the supervision of the parents and their domestic staff.
“Their (the parents) reaction to the charge I’m facing is that they will stand by me because they all know me.
“This is a profession that I have been in since 1996. I have trained children by the grace of God long before this charge. I tutored them and they have turned right.
“I was so shocked when this woman (the complainant’s mother) called me and said this happened.
“The parents’ reactions are: ‘Mr Adenekan, we are ready to support you because we know you,’’ the supervisor said.
Nwaka in a ruling ordered that Adenekan should maintain the bail granted him by the magistrates’ court.
“The purpose of bail is to ensure that the defendant comes to court and it is discretionary.
“This defendant I’ve been told has been coming to court on his own volition. I have no evidence before me that the defendant will jump bail.
“The sureties who stood for him at the magistrates’ court are present in court, the defendant is to remain on the bail granted to him by the magistrate court,” the judge ruled.
Nwaka adjourned the case to February 6 for trial.
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