Four staff of Kazmus Nigeria Ltd., were on Thursday re-arraigned at an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for allegedly defiling three-year-old and five-year-old daughters of their colleague.
The defendants are: Ojo Taiye, 35, a driver; John Mohasan, 24, a security guard; Peter Arabo, 33, a tiler, and Adenekan Adedeji, 40, a driver.
The defendants were initially arraigned on April 24, 2018 before Justice Sybil Nwaka and had pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration.
They were remanded at a correctional centre by Nwaka.
Nwaka has, however, been elevated to the Court of Appeal and the defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Rahman Oshodi, the new presiding judge.
The defendants, during the re-arraignment, also pleaded not guilty to the same three-count charge.
According to the prosecutor, Mr. Gbenga Alagbe, the employees committed the offences in November 2015 at the company premises located at Fagba-Iju Road, Agege, Lagos.
“The defendants on different occasions defiled the sisters (names withheld) by having sexual intercourse with them.
“They also on different occasions sexually assaulted the older sister who is five-years old by penetrating her mouth with their penises,” he said.
According to court documents, the children who are nursery and primary school pupils, spent time at their father’s workplace after school hours.
The children, were on several occasions, left in the company of the defendants and other members of staff to babysit them while their father (name withheld) worked.
It was when the children were left alone with the defendants that the defilements allegedly took place.
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Following re-arraignment, Mr. Saheed Sanni, the counsel to Arabo (third defendant) filed a bail application dated July 1 on behalf of his client.
Sanni, in his submission, noted that Arabo was remanded at a correctional centre by the former judge in the case (Nwaka) and requested that the court should grant Arabo bail in liberal terms.
Responding, Alagbe said the bail application should be refused because no substantial and material evidence had been presented before the court.
The prosecutor told the court that trial had commenced and that two state witnesses had already testified before Nwaka, the former presiding judge.
“The third defendant is accused of defiling two sisters. The crime of defilement is prevalent in our society.
“Lagos State is taking measures to take predators off the street. I am urging the court to refuse the bail application,” Alagbe said.
The offences violate sections 137 and 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011.
Oshodi adjourned the case until Aug. 2 for ruling. (NAN)
