Court remands father for raping daughter in Ekiti

From Victor Akinkuolie,  Ado-Ekiti
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An Ado Ekiti High Court, presided over by Justice M. O Abodunde, has remanded a 47-year-old man,  Basiru Adeyanju, in prison for allegedly raping his 17-year-old daughter (names withheld).

According to the prosecution,  Adeyanju, who resides at No 30, Irona Quarters, Ado Ekiti, the state capital,  had unlawful carnal knowledge of his daughter on September 10, 2017 and was subsequently arrested by the police.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the offence which contravened section 358 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 16, Law of Ekiti state, 2012.

At the trial, the Ekiti State Attorney General, Olawale Fapohunda, who led two other colleagues from the state Ministry of Justice appeared for the victim,  while Adeyinka Opaleke led other lawyers to appear for the respondent.

The Attorney General, reiterated the readiness of the state to prosecute the case by calling five prosecution witnesses (PW) to testify.

In his evidence, one of the prosecution witnesses,  the Olua of Ado Ekiti, Chief Kola Jegede of the Ewi in council, who is also an herbalist was asked to recount his contact with the accused.

Jegede admitted that he had known Adeyanju years back when he came to his house at Falegan in company of his brother for prayer and he asked them to bring some fetish ingredients.

According to Jegede, it was the following year that police brought Basiru Adeyanju and others to his house that Basiru told them (police) that what he collected after raping his daughter was brought to him which was not true.

Another witness, Dr Temitope Olaseinde, a medical practitioner with seven years experience and resides in  Okesa area of the town.

In his testimony,  the medical doctor informed the court that the victim was brought to him by the police for treatment after she was allegedly defiled by her biological father on September 11, 2017.

He explained that  the medical history and investigation on her showed that she had been with her father since  for she past two years after had  her mother separated from her father.

“She experienced the first sexual intercourse with her father when she was 10 years old after she was forced to drink a herbal mixture suspected to be alcohol.

According to the medical doctor,  after regaining herself back, she discovered that her pant was stained with blood under medical examination.

Dr. Temitope further told the court that the outer virginal was bruised, but she was HIV negative.

At that juncture, the Attorney General tendered a medical report of the victim which was marked as exhibit F by the court.

Under cross-examination by counsel to the accused, Dr Temitope  confirmed the date and time the victim was brought to him, saying, ” looking at the medical report prepared on  January 28, 2019 and the incident which happened on September 8, 2017, made the report inconclusive.”

The medical doctor quickly informed the court that medical report was always  based on request, but that the medical assessment was carried out on the victim on September 11, 2017.

After series of arguments and cross- examinations, the presiding Judge, M. O Abodunde, ordered the remand of the accused  in prison custody and adjourned the case to October 2, 2019, for further hearing.