Adewale Babalola is facing a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with the 16-year-old daughter of an evangelist in the church, NAN reports.
The prosecutor, ASP Godwin Anyanwu, accused Babalola of taking undue advantage of his relationship with the teenager as her choirmaster at Christ Our Light Glory Church, Sanya in Surulere, to commit the crime.
Anyanwu said:
“The girl told her father, who is also an evangelist in the church that the accused lured her into his room and forcefully had a carnal knowledge of her.
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The father reported the matter to the General Overseer of the church, but no action was taken which compelled the victim’s father to report the matter at the police station.”
According to Anyanwu, the accused violated Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
However, Adewale pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.O. Soladoye, directed that the case file should be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice as Section 137 prescribes life imprisonment for child rape.
She granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to June 29 for DPP’s advice.
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Meanwhile, rapists and those who engage in other related sexual offences will henceforth not have things go as usual. The Senate on Wednesday passed the Sexual Offences Bill of 2015
