One Kehinde Paul has been arraigned before a Lagos State
High Court in Ikeja for allegedly raping a two-year-old daughter of his
neighbour, Mrs. Mercy Ofaghae, two years ago.
Kehinde, who lives in Igando, a suburb of Lagos State,
however, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and defilement preferred
against him on Monday before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye.
But the victim’s mother, Ofaghae, who gave evidence in court
as the prosecution’s first witness, insisted that Kehinde defiled her daughter
on January 12, 2013, adding that a medical report confirmed it.
Ofaghae, who was led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Akin
George, narrated to the court how Kehinde allegedly raped her daughter.
She said, “The incident happened on the 12th of January,
three weeks after my husband travelled out of the country.
“That fateful night, my daughter was running temperature as
a result of teething. I called my neighbour and friend, Mrs. Layode Paul, the
wife of the accused, who brought Paracetamol for the girl and advised me to
bathe her.
“The drug didn’t suppress her temperature, so I decided to
rush out to buy another drug for my daughter. I left my daughter with my
neighbour’s husband, the accused, because the wife was on her way to the salon.
“When I got back home with the drug, I knocked Mr. Layode’s
(Kehinde) door and he claimed to be in the bathroom. It took him one hour
before he opened the door and when he eventually did, I took my daughter to our
apartment and I took off her clothes to bath her before administering the drug.
“But when I got to her pants, there was sperm on it and I screamed
and neighbours rushed into my apartment to see what the matter was. The
defendant was also among those who came in and he asked me if I was accusing
him of raping my daughter. At that point, another neighbour slapped him, saying
the defendant had finally exposed himself.”
The victim’s mother said the two-year-old was rushed to a
hospital where, after being tested, the doctor confirmed that she had been
defiled.
The mother said, “I was shocked when I realised what Kehinde
did to my daughter. Though his family member pleaded that I should help them
cover the matter up, but it seems my daughter was not the first victim because
the defendant’s brother confirmed this.”
Justice Ipaye, who adjourned till August 19, 2015, for
continuation of trial, ordered that the accused should be remanded in the
prison custody.
According to the prosecution, the offence which Kehinde
allegedly committed contravened Section 258 of the criminal act law of Lagos
state (2011).
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