Two youths have been arraigned in the Apapa Magistrate’s Court for alleged abduction and rape of a teenage girl, Faith (pseudonym).

The suspects ─ Jamiu Yusuf (19) and 20-year-old Rilwan Oduntan ─ had reportedly approached the girl on May 12 around 8pm in front of her residence on Onigide Street, Ijora Badia, Lagos, for direction to a street in the neighbourhood.

As she was leading them to the location, they reportedly turned violent, overpowered and whisked her away to their residence where they took turns to rape her.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim confided in her mother, who reported it at the Ijora Badia Police Division, leading to the arrest of the duo.

Faith told the police that her efforts to resist the act were futile as she was forced to rounds of sexual assaults.

She said, “I was in front of my house, when they came to meet me and ask for direction to a street. I offered to help them, not knowing that they had plans to abduct and rape me. When we got halfway to the street, they suddenly grabbed my hands and forcefully took me to their house. They locked me up in the room and took turns to rape me.”

Yusuf and Oduntan were arraigned before a chief magistrate, Mr. P.A. Adekomaya, on two counts of abduction and rape.

A police prosecutor, ASP Olusoji Ojaokomo, told the court that the case had been investigated by the police and the suspects were found culpable of the crime.

“The accused conspired to abduct the girl and forcefully had carnal knowlegde of her without her consent,” he added.
The charges ready, “That you, Jamiu Yusuf and Rilwan Odutan, on May 12, 2015, at about 8pm on Onigide Street, Ijora Badia, Lagos, in the Apapa Magisterial District, did have sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

“That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did abduct the girl and have sexual intercourse with her, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 267 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”

However, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offences, claiming that the girl willingly succumbed to the act.

Adekomaya ordered that the case file be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice and admitted them to bail in the sum of N30,000 with one surety each in like sum. The sureties were also required to tender evidence of tax payment and their residential addresses to the court for verification.

The magistrate added that the defendants should be remanded in prison custody, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

He adjourned the case till June 18, 2015.