35-Year-Old Man Arraigned For Defiling A 5-Year-Old Girl In Abuja!

35-Year-Old Man
Arraigned For Defiling
A 5-Year-Old Girl In
Abuja!

The police, yesterday arraigned a
35-year-old driver, Ibrahim Akin,
before a Gwagwalada Upper Area
Court, for allegedly defiling a five-
year-old girl. Akin was arraigned on
a one-count charge of gross
indecency.
The Police prosecutor, Martha Paul
told the court that on December 23,
2012, the accused assaulted a five-
year-old-girl by putting his finger
into her private part. She said the
offence, which contravened the
provisions of Section 285 of the
Penal Code, was reported by one
Cajethan Ubughu of Angwan Dodo
at the Gwagwalada police station.
The accused, however, pleaded not
guilty, while his counsel, Mr. Ayam
Michael, prayed the court to grant
him bail.
Ayam made an oral application for
bail on the grounds that the charge
before the court “remains an
allegation, until the contrary is
proven.”
“The accused is a father of a one-
month-old baby and if he is sent to
prison, it will affect the child in a
way. We know that the offence is
not ordinarily bailable but we beg
the court to grant him bail. The
surety to take him on bail, if
granted, is present in court,” he
submitted.
Ayam further assured that his client
will not jump bail if granted and will
keep to all the conditions of the
court.
The prosecutor did not object to the
bail application. Consequently, the
presiding judge, Mr. Babangida
Hassan, granted the accused bail in
the sum of N200,000 with a surety
in like sum.
Hassan said the surety must reside
within the FCT and must be a civil
servant or own a landed property,
adding that the surety’s passport
photograph should be attached to
the bail form while his address
should also be made available to
the prosecution counsel. He also
ordered that if by close of work on
Wednesday, the accused was unable
to meet the bail conditions, he
should be remanded in prison
custody and adjourned the matter
to February 20, 2013, for hearing.