By Oluwatope Lawanson
Lagos – David Eyo, a 31-year-old headteacher, who allegedly defiled his 10-year-old pupil, was on Tuesday remanded in Kirikiri Prison on the orders of an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsanmi, who gave the ruling, directed that the case file should be duplicated and a copy sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
The accused, a resident of Aguda in Surulere area of Lagos, is on trial for defilement.
Police Prosecutor Benson Emuerhi had told court that the accused committed the offence at 2.00 p.m. on Feb. 10 in the premises of Promise Land Ministry School situated at No. 17, Aminu Jinadu St., Eric Moore, Surulere.
“He defiled his 10-year-old pupil (name withheld) several times in the premises of the school,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the case was reported by the pupil’s parents to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT).
According to Mrs Titilola Rhodes-Vivour, the Coordinator of the DSVRT, who was present in court for the arraignment, the child had informed her classmate about the defilement which had occurred several times within the school premises.
“The classmate who is the girl’s friend, told her mother who in turn informed the father and the case was reported to the Eric Moore Police Station in Surulere.
“At the police station, it was referred to the Gender Desk and the desk got in touch with the DSVRT for further investigation,” she said.
Elaborating further on the circumstances surrounding the alleged defilement, the DSVRT coordinator said: “The survivor could not tell her parents because the accused threatened to flog her, telling her that she will die if she tells anybody of the defilement.
“According to the survivor, who was preparing for her Common Entrance Examinations, the pupils used to stay after school hours to be tutored by Eyo who works also as the headteacher, choir master and class teacher.
“Eyo had the habit of isolating the survivor from her classmates and defiling her in the classroom and infected her with a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD).
“The survivor alleged that the sexual abuse had started since September 2017 when she was in Primary Five.”
Rhodes -Vivour also lamented that survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence had to fund their cases for justice to prevail.
The offence contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. The section prescribes a life sentence for offenders.
The case has been adjourned until June 25.
