Thirty-one-year-old, Azubike Agwu, who allegedly gang-raped a teenage girl with two other men, was on Wednesday granted a temporary reprieve by an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
Chief Magistrate Taiwo Akanni granted the accused bail in the sum of N150, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
The accused, a carpenter, who resides at No. 259, Ikorodu Road, Ketu, a suburb of Lagos, is being tried for conspiracy and rape.
Agwu, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutor Clifford Ogu told the court that the offences were committed at 12.45 a.m. on January 1 at Orishigun Street, Mile 12, Lagos.
Ogu said the accused and two others now at large, gang-raped the 15-year-old girl while returning home from December 31 Crossover Service.
“The girl, who was in the company of her friends, was left behind and in a bid to catch up with them, three men appeared and dragged her to a nearby bush where they all raped her and escaped.”
According to him, the girl was able to identify one of the accused persons.
Ogu said the case was reported at the police station and the accused was immediately arrested.
The offences contravened Sections 259 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that rape carries life imprisonment under the Criminal Law.
The case has been adjourned until February 7 for mention.
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