Admin I Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – An Investigating Police Officer (IPO), ASP Lawrence Ojo today informed a Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences court, how a man, Uduak Asangasi, allegedly defiled his wife’s niece.
The minor is aged 12 years. Asangasi is standing trial on a two-count charge of defilement and indecent treatment of a child, to which he pleaded not guilty.
The policeman was led in evidence by state counsel, Ms Abimbola Abolade. He told the court that the defendant was arrested by the Dopemu Police Station and the case was transferred to the Gender Unit of the police command in Lagos on Nov. 10, 2022.
According to him, the wife of the defendant (nominal complainant), the alleged survivor and the defendant made their statements voluntarily.
He said that the alleged survivor wrote in her statement that the defendant had sex with her twice. The IPO, however, said that the defendant denied the allegations.
“The survivor said in her statement that sometime in July 2022, the defendant called her and requested that she should remove her clothes, but she refused. Then she said that the defendant flogged her with a belt and had sex with her.
“She said that on another occasion which was Nov. 4, 2022, she was eating in their sitting room when the defendant started touching her breasts, and the wife met them in the act.
“The wife then questioned the girl who later opened up that the defendant had been having sexual intercourse with her.”
The witness added that a paper was issued to the complainant to take the alleged survivor to Mirabel Medical Centre.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Mrs Mojisola Obi-Farinde, the witness said that the case was transferred to the gender unit on Nov. 10, 2022, and that he did not recover anything during investigation.
The IPO told the court that he did only oral investigation. The IPO’s testimony ended evidence by prosecution. Justice Abiola Soladoye adjourned the case until Feb. 2 for the defendant to open defence.
