It was learnt that Esther and Ezeigbo were neigbours on Olatunde Close, where the victim resides with her aunt.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the aunt on April 26 around 9pm sent Esther on an errand and she was returning home when the suspect waylaid her.
Ezeigbo, a father of two, had reportedly given the minor some money and persuaded her to follow him, but she refused. It was learnt that the suspect resorted to force, dragging her into a tricycle parked by the roadside.
Ezeigbo reportedly covered her mouth to prevent her from raising the alarm and raped her.
Our correspondent learnt that Esther, on getting home, informed her aunt about the incident, which was reported at the Area G Command, Ogba.
Ezeigbo, who was said to have denied raping the girl, was arrested and arraigned by a police prosecutor, Inspector Benedict Aigbokhan, before a magistrate’s court in Ogba on two counts of rape.
Aigbokhan told the court presided by Chief Magistrate T.A. Elias that the offence contravened sections 259 and 166 (d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
The charge read, “That you, Kelvin Ezeigbo, on April 24, 2016, at about 9pm, on Olatunde Close, Oke-Ira, Ogba, inside a Keke Marwa (tricycle) parked along the close, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did sexually assault a girl, aged 10.
“That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by having sexual intercourse with an underage girl, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 166(d) of the Criminal Law II Vol. 44 Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and elected summary trial.
The magistrate, admitted him to bail in the sum of N2.5m with two sureties in like sum.
Adjourning the case till June 8, Elias ordered that Ezeigbo should be in prison custody pending when his bail conditions would be perfected.
In another development, Elias ordered the prison remand of a 25-year-old man, Yusuf Opeloyeru, for allegedly raping his co-tenant’s daughter, Mary.
It was learnt that Opeloyeru and a friend, who is still at large, had raped the 11-year-old victim on Amawo Street, Agege, Lagos.
It was gathered that while Mary and her friends were playing outside around 1pm on Sunday, April 17, Opeloyeru sent her on an errand to buy food for him and his fleeing friend, whose name had yet to be ascertained.
PUNCH Metro learnt that after Opeloyeru and his friend had finished eating the food, they lured her into their room to eat the remaining food.
When she entered to take the food, Opeloyeru and his friend reportedly locked the door and they both allegedly took turns to rape her.
Our correspondent learnt that the friends threatened that she would die if she told anyone about the incident.
Mary, who later complained of stomachache to her mother, opened up when the pain was unbearable.
It was learnt that the girl was taken to the Mirabel Centre for medical tests, which revealed that she had been defiled.
The mother thereafter reported the matter at a police station and Opeloyeru was arrested.
Opeloyeru’s wife, who was pregnant, claimed the allegation was false, adding that she and her husband were at home throughout that day.
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