By Oluwadamilola Akinduro
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A High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has adjourned continuation of hearing till April 17, 2023, in a rape case against one Jibola Fakologbon.
The trial judge, Justice Yemi Fasanmi, granted the adjournment sought by the prosecuting state counsel, D.D. Kayode, to enable himpresent his witness before the court.
Fakologbon, who is standing trial on a lone count of rape, allegedly committed the offence on March 11, 2021 at lgbara Oke at about 5:pm in Ondo State.
On arraignment, the state Prosecutor, D.D. Kayode told the court that the victim, Gloria Adetiba, 22, a student of Ero College of Education, was on her way to the school, when Fakologbon approached her, and demanded for N100 from her.
When the defendant could not get the N100 naira from the victim, he was said to have slapped her and dragged her to a nearby bush where he raped her.
At the continuation of trial, the forth witness prosecution (PW 4), Inspector Babatunde Banu, who is also the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), told the court that the case of rape was reported at the police station in lgbara Oke by the victim and her parents on March 12, 2021.
Banu said the victim reported that she alighted from a bus coming from Akure at Ero junction and wanted to get a bike to the school gate.
But the victim who could not get a bike on time decided to trek to school and was accosted by the defendant.
According to police First Information Report, “When Adetiba got to an uncompleted building along Igbara Oke, the defendant approached her and demanded for N100 which she couldn’t afford.
“The defendant slapped her, pounced on her and started touching her breasts. She fell down during the process and was dragged into the bush where the defendant had canal knowledge of her.”
Banu said the defendant ran away from the town after the incident but was apprehended on March 29, 2021 in Akure by his friends and brought back to Igbara Oke police station.
“My colleague and I took the victim to police clinic in Akure and one Doctor Akinbolasere Adewale conducted tests and told us to come back for result the next day.
“After the defendant was caught, his case was transferred from lgbara Oke to State Criminal investigative Department (SCID) Akure with the victim.”
The witness brought the victim’s torn pant, boxer tight and a DVD disk with a medical laboratory test to the court as evidence.
He added,”We took the record statement of the defendant in English and explained it to him in Yoruba for him to understand his statement. We also did a video statement with Inspector Julius Akinwumi android phone and it was later done to DVD disk.
“After the statement, the defendant took me and the family of the victim to the crime scene and showed us where he had carnal knowledge of the victim.
“On the March 30, 2021, the defendant was arraigned in Akure Magistrates’ Court and his case file was forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for advice from DPP.”
The state prosecutor therefore, sought for an adjournment to bring the victim to testify.
The defence counsel, Obi Benjamin did not oppose the prosecutor’s application for an adjournment.
Justice Yemi Fasanmi, adjourned the case till April 17, 2023 for continuation of trial.
