A 54-year-old man, Jegede Folorunsho, has been remanded to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old girl in the Mushin area of Lagos State.

The defendant was on Monday, November 20, 2023, charged with defilement of the minor before Magistrate O.M. Ajayi sitting before a Magistrate Court in the Ebute Metta area of the state.

The police brought Folorunsho with a remand application seeking that the defendant be remanded in prison custody while requesting the court to permit them to duplicate and send the case file to the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

The police prosecutor, Paul Ugorji, told the court that Folorunsho allegedly raped the victim at No 4 Adegbite Lane, Mushin, Lagos on October 4, 2023.

According to Ugorji, the defendant was arrested by the Mushin Police Division following complaints by the victim and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba for discreet investigation.

Ugorji said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

The police, however, presented before the court a confessional statement written by the defendant.

The charge accompanied by the 12-paragraph remand application read, “That you, Jegede Folorunsho, on October 4, 2023, at No 4 Adegbite Lane, Mushin Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did defile one girl (name withheld), a minor of eight years, by having carnal knowledge of her and thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

Following the remand application, the defendant’s plea was not taken.

The magistrate granted the prayer of the police and ordered that the defendant be remanded to the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

She also ordered that the case file be sent to the DPP for legal advice.

She further adjourned the case till December 15, 2023, for the DPP’s advice.

An apprentice identified as Onome has died after allegedly being beaten by his boss simply identified as Orunor in Sapele, Delta State.

Punch reports that the incident occurred at the Delta carpenter’s workshop located along New Ogorode Road, Sapele few days ago. Aside from disciplining his apprentice over “lateness to work,” Orunor had also accused Onome of stealing his Automated Teller Machine card.

It was reportedly resolved that the boy should be disciplined decisively through beating.

However, the alleged beating took a new twist for the apprentice who, on reaching home, was said to have complained of pains all over his body, to his parents. He reportedly told his parents about the beating he got but after they took him to the hospital for treatment, he died before he could be attended to.

When Orunor, master to the apprentice, was intimated of the demise of the boy, he allegedly went into hiding.

Umar Ibrahim, the Village Head of Dan Gulam in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State, has been accused of raping, impregnating and infecting a girl with HIV.

This was made known via a letter dated October 16, 2023, and addressed to the Secretary of Dutse Emirate Council by the Senior State Counsel in the Jigawa State Ministry of Justice, Kabiru Abdullah, titled: “Notification of arraignment of Umar Ibrahim (Village Head of Dan Gulam) on the offense of rape contrary to Section 3 (1) (A and D) of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law 2021.”

According to the letter, Kabiru Abdullah said, “I have been directed by the Attorney General of Jigawa State to write and notify Your Highness that a complaint of rape and infection with HIV was lodged at the Office of the Attorney General by one Ya’u Muhammad in which he alleged that Umar Ibrahim (Village Head of Dan Gulam) engaged his daughter in illegal sexual intercourse which resulted in her pregnancy and infected her with HIV.”

The letter explained that upon receiving the complaint, parties were invited, and in the course of discussion with the Attorney General, Umar Ibrahim (the village head) revealed that he had filed a case of defamation against the girl, her father and one Sule Umar of Dan Gulam village before the Upper Shari’a Court in Gwaram.

It further explained that the attorney general directed for the case at the Upper Sharia Court, Gwaram, to be taken over, and all parties were referred to the CID in Dutse for investigation.

After the investigation by the CID, the letter explained that the case diary was sent to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice, saying that the legal advice was given, and it revealed prima facie a case of criminal conspiracy and rape was made against Umar Ibrahim, who, to the attorney general’s greatest dismay, is the Village Head of Dan Gulam in Gwaram Local Government Area.

It stated that in view of the above fact and that he would soon be arraigned before a court, stressing that based on the foregoing fact, the attorney general directed him to write and notify the village head of the position of the case for appropriate steps to be taken.

Reports indicated that there was pressure on the emirate to sweep the issue under the carpet despite appeals and the state government’s intervention through the office of the attorney general.

The family of the girl has called on civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations to intervene in the matter to save the girl’s life and to ensure justice is served.

The village head denied the allegation, saying that he was not the person who impregnated the girl.

He confessed that he is HIV positive and had it for the past 10 years when he married an infected widow, pointing out that that is why they are bringing that girl who has the virus and is pregnant to lay false allegations, but he swears that he didn’t do it.