Driver raped student for 21 days, say police

The State Criminal Investigation
Department, Yaba, has arraigned a 28-
year-old man, Gbenga Asaye, before a
Lagos State Magistrate's Court for
allegedly abducting and raping a student
of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of
Education, Ijanikin.
The police said the incident happened at
the Agege area of the state.
It was learnt that the 18-year-old victim
had left her mother's shop on January
21, 2014 for school, but had
transportation challenge due to lack of
money.
She reportedly met Asaye, a family
friend, on the road. He promised to
assist her with money and take her back
to school in his vehicle.
The Ogun State indigene was said to
have, however, taken the student to his
house in Agege where he forcefully had
carnal knowledge of the victim, who was
a virgin before the encounter.
The victim was said to have been
abducted by the defendant for 21 days
that the sexual assault lasted.
It was learnt that the victim did not
escape because she could not muster
the courage of telling her parents she
had been deflowered.
The mother was said to have reported a
case of missing person at the Pen
Cinema Police Station, after which
enquires about the whereabouts of the
victim led to the arrest of Asaye.
He was arraigned on Monday before an
Ebute Meta Magistrate's Court on one
count of abduction.
The charge reads, "That you, Gbenga
Asaye, on January 21, 2014, at 3,
Enimature Street, off Oyemekun Street,
Agege Lagos in the Lagos Magisterial
District, did abduct one (name witheld),
aged 18 years for the purpose of sexual
intercourse and held her against her
consent until February 10, 2014."
The police prosecutor, Corporal Cyriacus
Osuji, said the offence was punishable
under Section 266 of the Criminal Law
of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the
charge and elected summary trial.
The victim, her mother and the
Investigating Police Officer, Inspector
Monday Ebuzume, were in court.
The defence counsel, Gbolahan Samuel,
applied for the bail of the defendant in
liberal terms.
"My Lord, this is not a case of abduction
as it has been made to look on the
charge sheet. It is a case of boyfriend
and girlfriend," he added.
The magistrate, Ms Y.B. Badejo-
Okusanya, however objected to giving of
evidence, saying it was premature.
She admitted the defendant to bail in
the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in
like sum.
The matter was adjourned till March 31,
2014 for mention.