Somtochukwu

A 29-year-old man, Adekunle Adebiyi, is currently cooling his heels in police custody in Lagos for allegedly defiling his five-year-old daughter, Bola (pseudonym).

Adebiyi reportedly committed the crime following a stormy relationship between him and his estranged lover, Anu, who is the mother of the victim.

City Round learnt that the lovers had kept each other at arm’s length but reconciled again in May 2020 on Adebiyi’s request.

On returning from a shopping trip on May 26, the girl reportedly took ill and Adebiyi gave Anu his Automated Teller Machine card to withdraw N5,000 at a nearby bank for her treatment.

It was gathered that Bola was with her father at a barber’s around Abule Egba, while the mother rushed to the bank. By the time she came back, Adebiyi was said to have run away with the girl.

Our correspondent learnt that the incident was reported to the police and Bola was reunited with her mother one week later.

Anu said she began to notice some strange changes in her child’s behaviour as she always complained whenever she wanted to wash her private parts.

She stated, “He bought a tablet for our daughter but there was no application on it. He said he had called a friend in Ikeja to download applications on the tab. He said we should go shopping for our daughter and we stopped by at a barbershop.

“The child was ill that day and he asked me to withdraw N5,000 from his account. When I came back, I didn’t meet him and my child. I called his number but he didn’t pick up. I then sent a text message to him and he replied that he was on Third Mainland Bridge. I reported to the police at Oko Baba.

“We searched everywhere but didn’t find him. His friends also said they didn’t know his whereabouts. My mum and I went to his father’s house in Meiran. After one week, he returned the child.

“When I got home, I noticed some changes in her. She would be holding her chest and wouldn’t allow me to wash her private parts. I asked her what happened but she didn’t say anything.

“About three weeks after, I woke her up at night and asked her why she didn’t allow me to touch her private parts. She said his dad touched her ‘bum bum’ with his finger and his ‘thing’. I was shocked. I reported the case at Alausa (Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team office) and we were referred to Isokoko Police Station. He denied to have sexually harassed her and his family has been threatening me.”

A medical test carried out on Bola at the Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, reportedly confirmed that her private parts had been tampered with.

Adebiyi was arrested and consequently arraigned in an Ogba magistrates’ court on one count of defilement.

The charge read in part, “That you, Adekunle Adebiyi, did unlawfully defile one girl (name withheld) by inserting your penis into her vagina, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.”

Adebiyi was remanded in police custody while the case was adjourned till October 6, 2020.

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