Lagos State Government has re-arraigned five students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court.
The students were re-arraigned on Thursday by the state’s prosecutors for allegedly gang-raping a 17-year-old student of the institution (name withheld).
The suspects are Moboluwaji Omowole, 19; Chuka Chukwu, 19; Peace Nwankama, 19; James Aguedu, 20; and Josephine Osemeka, 20.
They were first arraigned on February 26 and had denied a three-count charge of defilement of a child, permitting the defilement of a child in a premises and procuration.
The prosecution told the court on Thursday that the suspects were re-arraigned on an amended five-count charge based on new facts that emerged from the February 26 testimony of the complainant.
The defendants also denied the new charges of defilement of a child, permitting defilement of a child, procuration and sexual assault.
A director in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jide Martins, alleged that the offences were committed in 2017 at the institution’s premises.
He said the offences contravened the provisions of sections 137, 138, 140(1)(a) and 263 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.
After listening to plea for adjournment by the defence counsels to enable them re-strategise, Justice Abiola Soladoye adjourned the case to October 5.
