A 35-year-old electrician is on trial for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in Ajegunle area of Lagos State.

The culprit, Uchenna Izuka was remanded by aAn Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Tuesday.

The trial judge, Mrs Olufunke Sule-Amzat, who gave the ruling on Tuesday, said that the defendant be remanded in Kirikiri Prison.

Sule-Amzat also directed that the case file be duplicated and a copy sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

The defendant, a resident of Ayenuri Street in Ajegunle area of Lagos, is on trial for defilement.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Benson Emuerhi, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime between December 2018 and January at his residence.

“He defiled the 12-year-old girl (name withheld) by forcefully having carnal knowledge of her without her consent,” he said.

The prosecutor told the court that the case was reported to the police at Layeni Police Division in Ajegunle by the victim’s father.

He said that the victim’s father, on his return from a trip, noticed that his daughter was not walking well.

“After much questioning, the victim opened up to his father that she was sent to the defendant’s room on an errand.

“On getting to the entrance of the defendant’s room, he suddenly dragged the victim into his room and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her,” he said.

The offence, he said, contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015, which prescribes a life sentence for offenders.

The case was adjourned until April 22.

(NAN)