Rape: Court Acquits Teenager Who Allegedly Killed Father's Friend
Oluwapelumi Fasoyin, Lagos
A teenager (name withheld) who was accused of killing her father’s friend, Babatunde Ishola, 51, while attempting to rape her has been discharged.
The 15-year-old girl was freed by the Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba on Wednesday.
The teenager was released based on the legal advice of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution that the “case lacked ingredients of murder”.
The presiding magistrate, Mr Philip Ojo, said there were “insufficient facts to establish a prima facie case of murder against the suspect contrary to Section 222 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17, Vol.3 Laws of Lagos State”.
The teenager who was represented by the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender since the inception of the matter.
She was docked on a count of killing Babatunde Ishola on March 7, 2020, at Nwadolu Street, Aboru in Alimosho Local Government Area of the state by allegedly stabbing him to death with a knife.
She was thereafter remanded at the Correctional Home for Girls, Idi-Araba and case adjourned for legal advice of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions.
The counsel to the accused, Director, Lagos Office of the Public Defender, Dr Babajide Martins, expressed satisfaction with the decision of the court to release the girl.
"The professionalism, diligence, and timely advice of the Director of Public Prosecution on the matter, which made it possible for the girl to be released because no prima facie case was established against her."
However, parents of the girl appreciated the Lagos State Government and OPD for coming to their “rescue with free legal services”.
"Would have lost hope of getting access to justice considering their low-income status in a case of this nature”, her parents said.
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