Osun Teacher Remanded In Prison For Alleged Rape Of 13-Year-Old Pupil

A Chief Magistrate Court in Osogbo has ordered that a teacher at the Local Authority Secondary School, Ipetumodu, Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State, Mr Lawal Afolabi, be remanded in prison.

The teacher, according to a charge sheet seen by our correspondent on Tuesday, was charged before the court on one count of rape.

The police prosecutor told the court that the teacher raped the 13-year-old girl who was assigned to sweep the laboratory where the office of the teacher is located.

The teacher was said to have warned the girl not to tell anybody what happened and allegedly threatened her to conceal the crime.

The girl was said to have summoned courage and told her parents after some days. The case was reported to the police and this led to the arrest of the accused person.

He was subsequently arraigned before Chief Magistrate A. A. Adebayo.

The charge read that “Lawal Afolabi Morufu, on November 13, 2021, during the school hours at L.A. Secondary School laboratory, Ipetumodu, in Ife Magisterial District, did have carnal knowledge of one girl (name withheld) knowing full well that she is a child of tender age and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun State, 2003.”

The accused person however pleaded not guilty to the one count of rape against him.

The defence counsel, J. O. Oladayo, prayed the court to grant his client bail in liberal terms and assured that reliable surety would be produced if granted bail.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Adepoju Kayode, objected to the bail application.

A counsel from the Osun State Ministry of Justice, Samson Okpara, , who appeared before the court requested that the state government should be allowed to take over the matter.

Chief Magistrate A. A. Adebayo ruled that the case file should be handed over to the Ministry of Justice.

He ordered that Afolabi should be remanded at the Ilesa Correctional Centre.

The case was transferred to Ipetumodu Magistrate Court and adjourned.