52-year-old teacher rapes pupil 5year old pupil in classroom

Firstclass newsline learnt that the Lagos State Police Command has
arraigned a 52-year-old school teacher, Isaac Ikiabeke, for allegedly
raping a five-year-old pupil in the Ikorodu area of the state.
Firstclass newsline that Ikiabeke, who is also the proprietor of the
school, Brighter Glory School, located on Etunrere Street, raped his
victim after school hours.
The victim, five-year-old Pat (pseudonym), told our correspondent the
father of three had allegedly raped her 10 times.
She said, "He has been doing it for some time. He has done it more
than 10 times. I am not the only one. He does it with some of us after
school hours. I could not tell anybody because he said if I did he
would beat me."
The victim's grandfather explained to firstclass newsline that his
attention was drawn to the sexual assault by some of Pat's classmates.
He said he was shocked, as well as disappointed in Ikiabeke, whom he
regarded as a respectable person.
He said, "Pat and her younger sister stay with me and they attend the
school. I never suspected anything initially, except that I observed
she would be holding her belly and turning on the bed and when I asked
her what happened, she would say she was having stomachache.
"It was one of her classmates that told me what the school owner had
been doing to her and I quickly went to report at the station, after
which he was arrested."
Firstclass newsline was also told that the matter was brought to the
attention of the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender.
A police source told firstclass newsline that the police got
complaints from two victims.
He said a three-year-old pupil, who was equally raped by the suspect,
was in a critical condition in a hospital.
He said, "There were actually two pupils that we were told he raped.
The atrocity had been going on for a long time before he was
arrested."
Firstclass newsline was told that Pat had also been taken to the
hospital for treatment.
The police on Monday arraigned Ikiabeke before a Yaba Chief
Magistrates' Court on one count of unlawful sexual intercourse.
The charge read, "That you, Isaac Ikiabeke, on June 9, 2015, at about
3pm, at Brighter Glory School, Etunrere Street, Ikorodu, Lagos, in the
Lagos Magisterial District, did have unlawful sexual intercourse with
a minor, (name withheld) aged five years and thereby committed an
offence punishable under Section 258 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos
State, Nigeria, 2011."
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and elected summary trial.
He was represented by two counsel – Marcus Imoudu and Kola Afolayan.
Also in court were A.O. Komolafe and B.N. Ameh of the OPD, who held
brief for the complainant.
Imoudu prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail in liberal terms.
But the police prosecutor, Cyril Ejiofor, of the State Department of
Criminal Investigation, objected to the bail application.
He said, "While I agree that bail is at the discretion of the court, I
oppose the bail application of the defence counsel. He has not given
any cogent reason to the court for which the defendant should be
granted bail.
"The charge before the court is punishable by life imprisonment. And
although we don't want to go into proof of evidence, I want the court
to take cognisance of the fact that two minors are involved in the
substantive charge.
"This is a vice that is affecting society. I want the court to look at
the interest of the state in granting bail to the defendant."
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Soladoye, in her ruling, said the
offence was bailable.
She thereafter admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N1m with
two sureties in like sum.
"One of the sureties must be a school proprietor or proprietress,
while the second surety must be a serving civil servant of Grade Level
17," she added.
The case was adjourned till August 10, 2015.
Firstclassnewsline.net