Lagos Gardener Defiles 13 Year-Old Church Member Inside Worship Centre

A 52-year-old man, Isiaka Afolabi, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl, Joy (pseudonym). Reporters learnt that Afolabi works as a gardener in a white garment church in Mushin area of Lagos.

It was gathered that Joy’s mother had sent her on an errand on Thursday, October 24, in the evening when Afolabi lay in ambush for her. He was said to have lured her to the church premises where he lived and had canal knowledge of her.

It was learnt that the mother of the girl became worried she did not return in time and went on a search. The mother, who reportedly noticed uneasiness in Joy when she eventually returned home, grilled her on her whereabouts. After much pressure, she was said to have opened up to her mother.

Our correspondent gathered that the family alerted a rights group, Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network of Nigeria to the incident. The case was consequently reported to the police at the Area D Command, Mushin and Afolabi was apprehended.

The ACVPN Coordinator, Mr Ebenezer Omejalile, stated that the group was following the case at the gender unit of the Area Command handling it. He said, “We learnt that the man defiled a 13-year-old girl inside a white garment church on Banire Street, Mushin. He was taken into the custody of the Gender/Unit Area D Command. The officer in charge of the unit assured us that the case would be prosecuted.

“The incident occurred last Thursday. The man in question is a gardener in the church where he resides in. The survivor and her mother are also members of the church. “That day, the survivor’s mother sent her on an errand and she stayed longer than expected. Her mother was worried and went in search of her. She eventually showed up and after much pressure, she confessed to the mother that the gardener had been molesting her for some time and it was the fourth time he would abuse her.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, promised to get an update on the case and get back to our correspondent. He had, however, yet to do so as of press time. But a police source at the Area D Command told reporters that Afolabi had been charged. “The man was arraigned in Ogba Magistrates’ Court on Thursday for defilement and was remanded in prison by the magistrate,” the source added.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old man, identified simply as Emmanuel, is being held at the Akinpelu Police Station in Oshodi for alleged sodomy. The Imo State indigene was arrested on Wednesday after he was accused of harassing a 14-year-old male pupil. Emmanuel reportedly accosted the boy, a Junior Secondary School 3 pupil, who was on his way to school and made overtures to him. Both of them were said to be neighbours on Akinsoji Ogundele Street, Oshodi.

It was gathered that he wanted to take the boy into his room unknown that an Air Force officer in the area was closely monitoring him. The officer was said to have raised the alarm and Alawu was taken to the office of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps in Oshodi-Isolo. An LSNC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspect was handed over to the police, adding that the boy stated at the station that he had been earlier harassed by Emmanuel.

The official said, “Around 9am, an air force man brought one Emmanuel to the LSNC office and accused him of sodomy against a JSS 3 pupil. He allegedly harassed the boy on his way to school, saying that he liked the boy and wanted to have anal sex with him. “He never knew he was being closely watched by the air force officer who followed the boy. The boy confirmed that he had been disturbed by Emmanuel several times.”

The spokesperson for the LSNC, Mr Adewale Afolabi, confirmed the incident, adding that the “the case is being investigated by the police.” The spokesperson for the police, Bala Elkana, could not be reached for comment on the incident.