A 62-year old man, Imeje Matthew Daniel, has been arraigned before an Ondo State Family Magistrate’s Court in Akure over the alleged defilement of a 12-year old girl, (name withheld).
The defendant was brought before Magistrate T.G. Alphonso on a two-count charge bordering on indecent assault and defilement.
The Police Prosecutor, Martins Olowofeso, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences on February 28, 2025, within the jurisdiction of the Akure Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State.
Olowofeso said the prosecution presented a medical report from the Ondo State Specialist Hospital (Mother and Child) to support the allegation that the victim was defiled.
He added that the alleged offences contravene Sections 218 and 221 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 37, Laws of Ondo State.
The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Centre, pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, describing the matter as a serious offence.
However, the defendant claimed he was intoxicated with alcohol on the day of the incident and could not remember what happened, stating that he lost his memory and could not recollect the events of that day.
Counsel to the defendant, M.C. Otega, objected to the charges, arguing that they were wrongly framed considering the victim’s age.
He also challenged the medical report presented by the prosecution, stating that it was handwritten and therefore not admissible in court.
