Mother, school disagree over alleged defilement of four-year-old pupil

Right inside the court room when the case of the defilement of a four – year – old girl was mentioned before Osogbo Chief Magistrates ’ Court, emotions could not be contained as the people present rained curses on the suspect .But nonetheless , husband of the proprietress of the school attended by the victim, Mr Charles Adeyemi , said the prime suspect was a victim of an attack aimed at him and his wife .

He said the victim had resumed in the school barely 24 hours when her mother raised the alarm that she had been defiled . He insisted that the suspect did not defile the victim.

The case of alleged defilement of Ope ( not real name ) a four- year – old nursery two pupil of a private school in Kelebe, Osogbo , Osun State by a 27 – year – old man , Oluwatosin Oyelakin is perhaps the most controversial matter Osun Children ’ s Court has handled in a long while .

According to the facts presented before the court by the prosecutor , Sgt . Temitope Fatoba , on the day the suspect allegedly committed the offence , Oyelakin had dropped other children off at their various homes , until he was left with only the victim.

Giving further details before the court , the police prosecutor explained that the accused was a driver in the school , adding that Oyelakin committed the offence on Tuesday, January 15 , 2019 at about 4 pm, within Osogbo metropolis.

According to him , the offence contravened sections 360 and 218 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 vol. 11 , Laws of Osun , 2003 .

The mother of the victim, simply identified as Mama Ope , amidst sobs , explained that after the incident , her child was taken to a hospital where a test was conducted on her .

The presiding magistrate , Mrs Rofiat Olayemi, subsequently ordered that the accused be remanded in Ilesha custody and adjourned the case to February 28 , 2019 for ruling on bail .

Mother of the victim, who asked to only be identified as Mama Ope , while narrating her side of the story to our correspondent , said , “ I have known the proprietress of the school , Eniola Badmus , for long . We used to live in Ibadan , Oyo State , before she relocated to Osogbo last June . I also moved from Ibadan to Osogbo and the friendship continued .

“ I have two children and the two were immediately enrolled at a school in Osogbo . But I later discovered that the standard of the school was below what I wanted , so I decided to change the school of one of them .

“ The proprietress was my acquaintance from Ibadan . When I relocated with my children to Osogbo , she told me about a new school that they just established. The school is located far from my house . It is located in a place called Kelebe in Osogbo and I live along Ikirun Road .

“ She however assured me that the school had a vehicle to take pupils coming from a far distance to and from school . I took my child there on Monday , January 14 , 2019 . It was when I got to the school that I discovered that there was no bus.

“ The vehicle they referred to was a car. Around 4 pm when the driver brought back my child on her first day in the school , she looked unhappy . I had to pet her for some minutes before she cheered up again .

“ When we got home that Monday, she told me she did not want the driver to come and take her the next day . She called him uncle . I assumed probably because it was her first day in school , she was trying to adjust to her new environment .

“ On Tuesday, when I was preparing her for school , she told me she did not want to follow uncle . She insisted that I should take her to school , but I could not read any serious meaning to what she said .

“ When the driver arrived , my daughter did not want to follow him . I had to threaten her . The defilement must have started on Monday but I never understood why my daughter was so reluctant until later that day .

“ When the driver brought her back on Tuesday evening , she sat in front and looked so unhappy . I even asked the driver if they had fought again and he replied that they were becoming friends gradually .

“ I was a bit busy because I was in my shop working , so I did not notice any change in her until we got home . We were even preparing to sleep around 8 pm when she told me she wanted to urinate. After leaving the toilet , she drew my attention to bloodstains on her pants .

“ I rushed towards her and I checked ; I noticed that her pants were stained with blood . I was scared . I told her to sleep face up and I examined her body , it was then the reality dawned on me that she had been defiled .

“ I immediately called the proprietress of her school . She expressed disbelief upon hearing what happened . My daughter noticed I was restless and she became scared . I just managed to calm myself down and I interrogated her .

“ She told me uncle put something in her ‘ bumbum ’ ( private parts ) . I asked her where he did it and my daughter said he did it inside the car. I recorded all what my daughter said and I forwarded it to the husband of the proprietress.

“ Adeyemi later called that he was coming to my house . He got to my house few minutes to 10 pm. The husband of the proprietress, after listening to what my daughter told me, advised that we should take her to their family hospital , but the doctor that could handle such a case was not available . She was only given antibiotics and pain killers and we were told to return on Wednesday by 8 am .

“ I could not sleep all through the night . As early as 5 am , I called a lawyer and told him all that happened . I expected the proprietress by 8 am on Wednesday , but I didn ’ t see her . Around 9 . 30 am , I called the lawyer again and he advised we should report the matter at a police station .

“ We were at the station when the proprietress called me to find out about the health of my child . She said her husband had travelled to Ibadan . She told us to bring my child to the hospital for treatment . Some policemen followed me to the hospital and attempted to arrest the proprietress. She later called her husband and the driver was lured to the hospital where he was arrested .

“ My child was treated at Police Hospital, Oke Fia, Osogbo and it was confirmed that she was defiled . There was no misunderstanding between me and the proprietress. I am her fashion designer . ”

Reacting to the allegations that she asked the child to lie against Badmus and her husband to settle an undisclosed feud , Mama Ope said there was no truth in the allegation .

She said , “ When the driver was arrested , the proprietress and her husband did not visit the police station until the police invited them .

“ When they brought the vehicle used to bring my child home on the day she was defiled , the police took her ( my child ) to the car and asked her questions .

“ She told them same thing she said at home about what the driver did to her . ”

Mama Ope said the victim was still under treatment but did not say whether she was admitted to hospital or was being treated as an outpatient .

Commenting on the matter , counsel for the victim’ s family , Mr Bukola Onifade , said there were enough facts to prove that the victim had been defiled .

Onifade said aside from the victim’ s bloodstained pants ; the victim identified the suspect and explained that Oluwatosin put something in his ‘ bumbum . ’

Adeyemi , husband of the proprietress of the school , when contacted, said the victim was not defiled as claimed by her mother .

Adeyemi said the tests carried out on the victim should have been done at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo instead of Police Hospital .

He added that the mother of the victim was displeased with the proprietress and was looking for means to deal with her . He demanded a thorough investigation of the matter so as not to punish the innocent .

Download Edujandon.com News App QR-Code

Edujandon.com - 24/7 News Upda

Developer: Edujandon Enterprises

Price: Free