A 32-year-old man, Michael Okon, on Friday, February 24, 2017 in Lagos pleaded guilty to defiling a four-year-old girl before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court.
“I am guilty of the offence,” he told the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Ipaye Nwachukwu.
Nwachukwu said since the accused had pleaded guilty to the charge the court had no choice than to sentence him.
She fixed May 22 for facts and sentence.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande, told the court that the accused committed the offence at No. 8, Adepoju St.,Iyana-Ipaja, a Lagos suburb, on Feb. 2.
She said the accused, who lives in the same compound with the four-year-old, took her to a dark corner in the compound and defiled her.
“But a neighbour trailed him and caught him in the act.”
The offence contravened section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
In January, an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos found a a 16-year-old student (name withheld), guilty of defiling and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl.
The student, who attends a Secondary School at Mile 12 in Lagos State, faced a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault in the case in which he pleaded guilty.
Earlier, the prosecutor Sergeant Ihiehie Lucky, had told the court that the student committed the offences sometime in June 2016 around Mile 12 in Lagos State.
There has been an increase in the number of reports of rapes of minors in Nigeria. Women and child right groups are largely responsible for the increased awareness on the rights of minors. These groups hold the law enforcement accountable for delivering justice to the victims of this heinous crime. (NAN)
