A 28-year-old man, Morufu Rasheed, was on Wednesday arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate's Court for conspiracy, rape and theft.

Rasheed and two others at large were accused of raping a 27-year-old nursing mother (name withheld) at Palm grove end of Ikorodu Road, Lagos, while she was waiting to board a bus.

The charge read in part, "That you Morufu Rasheed and others at large on the April 13 about 10pm at Palm grove Bus Stop, Lagos in the Somolu Magisterial District did conspire together to have carnal knowledge of (name withheld) without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 409 of the Criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

"That you Rasheed and others at large at the same date, time and place in the Lagos magisterial district did steal the sum of N100.00 belonging to the victim and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2789(2A) of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011."

Rasheed pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Defence counsel, Mrs. Beauty Otigi, asked the court to grant the defendant bail. The prosecutor, Mr. Ishola Samuel, objected to the bail application on the premise that the complainant was a nursing mother.

He said, "The complainant is a nursing mother with a baby daughter. The trauma of the rape would still affect her while breastfeeding her child."

The Magistrate, Mrs. M. Tanimola, ruled that bail be granted the defendant in the sum of N100,000.00

"Bail is granted the defendant in the sum of N100,000.00 with two gainfully employed sureties. Sureties should be blood relatives of the defendant and evidence of their tax payment is to be verified. Case is adjourned till May 18 2013," she said.


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