A businessman at Ladipo Market in Lagos, one Mr Charles Okpara, has been remanded in prison custody by an Ogba Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defiling a Junior Secondary School 2 pupil.

Okpara, who resides in Casso Alagbado area of the state, is said to be a tenant of the girl’s father, Segun.

The PUNCH learnt that the girl, 15, wanted to have a bath at the backyard on May 12, 2019 around 9pm when the 34-year-old father of three went to the place and held her hostage.

He was said to have covered her mouth and forcefully had sex with her, threatening that she risked losing her life if she informed anybody about the incident.

It was gathered that Segun woke up in the midnight and saw blood dripping from her daughter’s leg, which made him to be suspicious.

When he questioned his daughter, she reportedly lied that she was on her periods.

Six days later, Okpara, whose wife and children had travelled at the time, allegedly had sex with the girl again at the backyard, restating his threat.

The girl, however, opened up to his father some days later after a neighbour claimed that Okpara was HIV positive and warned children to be wary of him.

The case was reported at the Alagbado Police Division and Okpara was arrested.

The girl told the police that she tried to escape from the grip of the suspect on the two occasions he allegedly defiled her, but she was overpowered.

She said,

“I wanted to have my bath at the bathroom in our backyard when I suddenly saw Mr Okpara by my side. He covered my mouth with a towel he was holding and pushed me on a chair at the backyard.

“He ‘slept’ with me. I tried to shout because it hurt a lot, but nobody could hear me as a result of the towel he used to cover my mouth. After he ‘slept’ with me, he told me not to tell anybody and threatened to kill me if I did. The second time he had sex with me was on Sunday, May 19, also at the backyard. He covered my mouth with his hand.”

However, Okpara in his statement denied having sex with the girl, claiming that he only had a ‘romance’ with her.

The Imo State indigene said he gave the girl N500 after fondling her, but the victim denied his claim.

Okpara stated,

“I do business at Ladipo Market. I have a wife and three children but they have travelled to the East. I only played with her on that day (May 12) at the backyard. I ‘romanced’ her, but I did not have sex with her. I didn’t threaten her not to tell anybody what happened between us.

“I gave her N500 after I finished ‘romancing’ her because she said she was hungry. On May 19 when I came back from work, a co-tenant accused me of molesting children and I explained to him that I only ‘romanced’ the girl. It was only once I ‘romanced’ her. I did it because she laughed whenever I called her my wife.”

A police prosecutor, Ben Emuerhi, on Thursday, brought Okpara before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court on one count of defilement.

Emuerhi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told the court that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 and tendered a remand application.

The charge read in part, “That you, Charles Okpara, 34, on May 12, 2019, at about 9.30pm at Casso Alagbado, Lagos, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did defile a 15-year-old girl by having sexual intercourse with her.”

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs O. Sule-Amzat, did not take the plea of the defendant.

She held that he should be remanded in prison custody while the case file should be forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for advice.

The case was adjourned till August 5, 2019.