A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja has remanded an 18-year-old Block moulder, Mohammed Aminu, for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl dropped by her father to take Quranic lesson.
Chief Magistrate, Levi Animoku who handed down the remand order on arraignment of the accused described rape as grievous and deadly social vice that had permeated the society and was now rampant.
Bail, according to him, is not granted as a matter of course, the presumption of innocence guaranteed the accused notwithstanding and consequently, refused to admit the accused to bail.
Animoku ordered that the accused be remanded in Federal Prisons, Okene and also transferred the case to Family Court, Okene, to take cognizance and adjourned for mention at Okene.
Earlier, the prosecuting police officer, Sgt. Shaibu Friday had told the court that the accused, (Aminu) of Nagazi Area in Adavi Local Government of the state allegedly committed the offence on September 18.
Friday said the girl’s father, one Ahmed Abdulazeez reported the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Adavi on same date that he took his daughter (Names withheld), aged four, to the house of one Ahmed Abdulmalik for Quranic lesson.
He further alleged that after his departure, one Mohammed Aminu deceitfully took the girl into an uncompleted mosque and had carnal knowledge of her without her consent.
According to the police prosecutor, in the process, the little girl sustained injury in her private part and had to be rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Aminu who did not understand English had the Police First Information Report (FIR) interpreted to him in Ebira and he claimed to understand the charges.
His plea could however not be taken as he was not legally represented.
The prosecuting police officer thereafter told the court that investigation into the case was still in progress and opposed granting of bail to the accused saying that he would jump bail and commit similar offence if granted bail.
He added that his bail could jeopardize the on-going investigation into the case aside the fact that rape was a grievous offence and therefore, implored the court to remand the accused in prison custody.
