Lack of advice from Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Wednesday stalled hearing in a case of a school bus driver and music teacher charged with defiling a school girl.
The driver, Ibrahim Umaru, 39, and Wisdom Akpoaereme, 33, music teacher, are standing trial before an Igbosere Magistrates ‘ Court in Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on sexual assault.
The accused, both employees of Atlantic Bay Preparatory School, Lekki, Lagos, were arraigned on April 4 and remanded in prison pending the DPP’s advice.
They, however, pleaded not guilty.
When the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, the prosecutor, Sgt. Peace Chukwudi, noted that the advice had yet to be made available.
She prayed the court for a short adjournment.
The Magistrate, Mrs K. O. Doja-Ojo, consequently adjourned the case until June 16 for mention.
Doja-Ojo had, during the arraignment, requested that the accused’s case files be transferred to the DPP’s office for advice.
According to the prosecutor, the accused committed the offences from September 2017 to March 16, 2018 at Atlantic Bay Preparatory School.
“Sometime in September 2017, Umaru indecently assaulted the eight-year-old girl by forcing her to hold his sexual organ inside the school bus.
“On March 16, the second accused, Akpoaereme unlawfully had carnal knowledge of the same girl inside the school’s music room,” the prosecutor said.
She said that the offences contravened Sections 135 (1) and 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 135 (1) provides that any person, who unlawfully and indecently deals with a child, commits a felony and is liable to seven years’ imprisonment on conviction.
Section 137 recommends life imprisonment for anyone who has sexual intercourse with a minor. (NAN)