An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday remanded a church keyboard player, Essien Bassey, 25, in Kirikiri Prisons for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl, who attends his church.
The Magistrate, Mrs B.O Osunsanmi, who refused to grant the accused bail, ordered that the case file should be sent to the office of the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
She said the accused should remain in prison pending advice from the DPP.
The accused, who resides at Ojodu area of Lagos, is facing a charge of defilement.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, ASP Ezekiel Ayorinde, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Aug. 25, 2017, at his residence.
He said the accused invited the girl to his house under the pretext of teaching her how to play the keyboard and had sexual intercourse with the girl.
“When she got home, her mother noticed she was not walking properly and asked her what had happened to her.
“She then told her mother what had transpired between her and the accused,’’ he said.
Ayorinde said the girl was taken to the hospital and the medical report revealed that there was penetration into the girl’s private parts and she also sustained some injuries.
“The case was reported to the police and the accused was arrested for questioning,’’ he said.
The offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 137 prescribes life imprisonment for offenders.
The case was adjourned until May 31.
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