The absence of Justice Josephine Oyefeso of an Ikeja High Court on Wednesday stalled the trial of a former lecturer of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akin Baruwa, accused of raping an 18-year-old admission seeker in 2015.
Oyefeso, said to be attending a conference in Abuja, was unavailable to hear the case.
Baruwa was scheduled to open his defence during the proceedings.
Following the latest development, the case has been rescheduled to June 14 for Baruwa’s defence.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution, led by a state Counsel, Mrs C.K. Tunji-Carrena, had on January 23, closed its case against the former lecturer.
The prosecution had called four witnesses during the trial, including the complainant, her father, a medical doctor and the investigating police officer.
Baruwa, a father of two and former part-time lecturer in the Department of Accounting in UNILAG, is facing a charge of rape.
The prosecution alleged that the former lecturer raped the complainant at 9.25 a.m. on July 23, 2015 in Room 8 at the Faculty of Business Administration Annex building.
Baruwa, who was a friend of the complainant’s father, was requested by him to help his daughter secure admission into the institution.
The rape allegedly occurred when the complainant was in his office to make arrangements for the lady’s admission into the university.
UNILAG has, however, put up a disclaimer in respect of the lecturer.
The offence violates Section 258 of the Criminal Law of Justice, Laws of Lagos State 2011.
