Five students of Ireti Grammar School, Falomo, Lagos State, involved in the attempted rape of two female students from Falomo Senior High School, are expected to be arraigned in court on Thursday, May 11.
It was learnt that while one of the suspects, whom the police said was above 18 years, would be prosecuted in an open court, the four others would be tried in a family court.
One Michale Matthew had posted on social media how the two pupils were molested by their fellow male pupils upon the completion of their final exams. Two of the perpetrators were identified simply as George and Abiodun.
Matthew described how the pupils chased the girls in the Obalende area, tearing up the skirt of one of the victims with a pair of scissors. Two boys had attempted to rape the girls to the cheers of other boys before the eyewitness raised the alarm.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said on Wednesday that the command, together with the state Ministry of Justice, had concluded arrangement to prosecute the suspects on Thursday. He, however, did not disclose the charges preferred against them.
Owoseni said, “The police have interacted with the five suspects, one of the victims and the eyewitness. The incident raises questions of criminality and morality, which have been considered and examined by the stakeholders. An offence has been committed and the suspects will be taken to court to serve as a deterrent to others.
“We are putting all our files together with the Ministry of Justice and appropriate charges will be taken to court not later than Thursday with the suspects. Issues of the ages of the pupils also came to play.
“Four of them will be taken to juvenile or family court, but one of them, who does not fall into the category of children, will be arraigned in an open court.”
The CP also said the Divisional Police Officer, Ijesha Police Division, CSP Mohammed Yakubu, had been detained for allegedly shooting an apprentice tailor, Jamiu Ayoade, to death.
