By Ayodele Oni
It was a case of a law enforcer breaking the law as an Ekiti State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti granted an ex-parte application brought before it to remand one Olukayode Adebayo (37) in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ado Ekiti.
Olukayode is an officer at the Nigeria, Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) Ado Ekiti branch according to the facts of the case before the court.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Mojisola Salau said, remanding the defendant will allow the Police complete investigation while the Prosecutor, Inspector Sadiq Adeniyi would duplicate the case file and send same to office of Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
According to the charge, Olukayode, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp, attached to Ekiti State Command was reasonably suspected to have committed an offence of rape on a thirteen-year-old girl.
The incident happened at Peace Avenue, Afao Road, Ado Ekiti, very close to the NSCDC office on 25th December, 2021.
In her statement to the Police, the victim said, on Christmas day, she went to the shop on the instruction of her mother to bring some banana and kolanut for her.
On her way back, the defendant who was on a motorcycle met her on the road, and asked her to mount the motorcycle to assist her home and she agreed.
On their way, he took her to an uncompleted building and had canal knowledge of her and left.
Her cry attracted some passers-by who took her home, she explained to her mother and later reported the incident at the Police Station.
The offence runs contrary to and punishable under Section 31 of the Child Right Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
No plea was taken when the case was mentioned. The Magistrate adjourned the case to February 10 for further mention.