A man who allegedly defiled his 10-year-old cousin was denied bail by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday.
Uchenna Edom, the defendant, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of defilement when he was arraigned.
The presiding judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, ruled that the case against Edom was weighty and he was not convinced that he would attend his trial.
He said, “In the interest of justice on the part of the defendant, I hereby order an accelerated hearing, and his bail application is hereby denied.” He adjourned the case until February 12, 2024, for trial.
The defence counsel, Mr. A.O. Afuye, had filed a bail application on Nov. 11, urging the court to grant Edom bail in the interest of justice.
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He submitted a 16-paragraph affidavit, stating that Edom was innocent until proven guilty and that he would not interfere with the course of justice, even though the alleged victim was his cousin.
The state counsel, Ms. Bukola Okeowo, opposed the bail application in a 13-paragraph counter-affidavit filed on Nov. 20.
She argued that Edom had not given any cogent reason for bail and that he might tamper with the prosecution witnesses. She asked the court to refuse the bail application.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the alleged defilement occurred on Sept. 9, 2023, at Edom’s residence in Lagos.