A supervisor at Chrisland School in Lekki, Lagos, Adegboyega Adenekan, was on Monday arraigned at an Ikeja High Court for allegedly defiling a two-year-old pupil in his care.

The Supervisor, 47, pleaded not guilty to a charge of defilement of a child.

The Prosecution, led by Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, said Adenekan committed the offence sometime in November 2016 at Chrisland School at Victoria Garden City, Lekki, Lagos.

Shitta-Bey said: “The defendant defiled the complainant by having unlawful sexual intercourse with her.

“The offence violated Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”

The alleged defilement was reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team for investigation.

The parents of the victim were present in court.

However, following Adenekan’s not guilty plea, his lawyer, Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN), requested that the school supervisor should maintain the bail granted to him by the Magistrates’ Court in December, 2016.

Adejuyigbe said: “The defendant was admitted to bail by Chief Magistrate Osunsanmi on December 1, 2016.

“The essence of an application for bail is to ensure that defendant stands trial.

“The state has concluded its investigations in the matter, interference by the defendant or witnesses will not arise.

“The defendant does not have a criminal record, he has been attending court proceedings and he came to court this morning voluntarily, despite being informed that he will be arraigned.

“The same sureties (his former colleague and father-in-law) that were approved by the magistrates’ court have expressed willingness to continue and they are present in court.”

The DPP, however, opposed the SAN’s bail application.

Shitta-Bey said: “The gravity of the offence will make the defendant to have an urge to flee.

“Bail is discretionary and I urge your lordship to remand him in prison custody.”

The Judge, Justice Sybil Nwaka, to determine Adenekan’s eligibility for bail, interviewed him in the open court.

The school supervisor told the judge that although on leave, he was still employed by Chrisland School and was currently tutoring children privately to sustain himself financially.

He said: “I still work there (Chrisland School) but I was asked to go on leave pending the outcome of this case.

“I was initially being paid my salary but it was stopped last year.

“I presently do some private tutoring to sustain myself.”

Nwaka queried why parents allowed him get close to their children considering the grievous charge against him.

Responding, Adenekan said: “The private home tutoring I do is under the supervision of the parents and their domestic staff.

“Their (the parents) reaction to the charge I’m facing is that they will stand by me because they all know me.

“This is a profession that I have been in since 1996.

“I have trained children by the grace of God long before this charge.

“I tutored them and they have turned right.

“I was so shocked when this woman (the complainant’s mother) called me and said this happened.

“The parents’ reactions are: ‘Mr Adenekan, we are ready to support you because we know you.’”

Nwaka in a ruling ordered that Adenekan should maintain the bail granted him by the magistrates’ court.

The judge ruled: “The purpose of bail is to ensure that the defendant comes to court and it is discretionary.

“This defendant I’ve been told has been coming to court on his own volition.

“I have no evidence before me that the defendant will jump bail.

“The sureties who stood for him at the magistrates’ court are present in court.

“The defendant is to remain on the bail granted to him by the magistrate court.”

Nwaka adjourned the case to February 6 for trial.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has denied issuing an arrest warrant for Managing Director (MD) of BUA’s Obu Cement Company, Engineer Yusuf Binji. Force Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Jimoh Moshood, denied the report stating unequivocally that there had been no such directive from the police at the State or Federal command. This calls to question, the earlier statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media to the Edo State Government, Crusoe Osagie, who alleged that the police had issued an arrest warrant for the arrest of the BUA Cement MD.
This statement by the police also contradicts other claims by the Edo State government; soon after an alleged attacked on the convoy of Governor Godwin Obaseki on Thursday, the government issued a press statement claiming that the police has ordered the arrest of Engr. Binji for complicity in the attack.
Police rebuttal of the government’s claims however, absolves Binji of complicity in the alleged attack.
 
For more information, call the Office of the Force PRO: Jimoh Moshood 08032569029