A septuagenarian farmer, James Olatoye, a prophet and two others, who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl, were on Wednesday remanded in Omu-Aran Medium Prison, Kwara by an Omu-Aran Area Court.
Olatoye of Moba Compound in Aiyedun and his accomplice: Adeyeye Suleiman 35, Toyin Adesina 35, who claimed to be a prophet and Ojo Olayemi,20, are facing trial over gross indecency.
They were alleged to have subjected their victim to an act of indecency by raping her at different times between 2016 and 2017 at Aiyedun.
Olatoye and Suleiman pleaded guilty to the charge, while Adesina (prophet) and Olayemi pleaded not guilty.
The judge, Abolade Banigbe, while ruling on the accused’s bail application, said, “if not for lack of jurisdiction, the first and second accused would have been given summary trial for their guilty stance’’.
“Both Olatoye and Suleiman would have known their fate today, but area courts are not empowered to try summarily under Section 157 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC)’’.
“The accused persons will have to be remanded in prison custody for the prosecution to conclude its investigation on the case.”
The prosecutor, Sgt. Oshage Omoh, had objected to the bail application of the accused persons, saying that they might tampered with the police investigation.
Omoh said that both the accused persons and their victim were living together in the said village when the offence was committed.
He said that the offence was contrary to Section 285 of the Penal Code.
The case was adjourned until Oct. 26 for mention.