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Man, 41, Remanded Over Alleged Defilement Of 6-Year-Old Girl In Lagos

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CYRIACUS IZUEKWE 
A 41-year-old man, Hammed Bashiru, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court over the alleged defilement of a six-year-old girl in Agege area of Lagos State.
Bashiru was arraigned before Magistrate Mrs. M. O. Tanimola on a one-count charge bordering on defilement. The prosecutor in the case was ASP Lucky Ihehie.
The matter is being prosecuted on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.
According to the charge sheet, a copy of which was sighted by P.M.EXPRESS, the defendant was alleged to have committed the offence on September 20, 2026, in the Agege area of Lagos, within the Lagos Magisterial District.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant unlawfully had carnal knowledge of a six-year-old girl, an offence which is punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
Section 137 of the law provides for punishment for any person who has sexual intercourse with a child. The law treats any such act against a minor as a serious offence, irrespective of consent, because a child under the age of 18 cannot give consent in law.
The charge was filed by the Gender Section of the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, a special unit created to investigate cases of sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
After the charge was read to the defendant, the prosecution, led by ASP Lucky Ihehie, applied for the defendant to be remanded pending the outcome of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, DPP.
Magistrate Mrs. M. O. Tanimola granted the application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional centre pending the outcome of the DPP’s advice.
The DPP’s advice is a legal opinion from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice on whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the defendant before a higher court. In serious cases like defilement, the Magistrate Court does not conduct the full trial. It remands the defendant while the DPP reviews the case file and decides the next step.
The prosecution is expected to forward the duplicate case file to the DPP for advice. Once the advice is ready, the matter will come up again in court for further direction.
The defendant, through his counsel, is expected to have the opportunity to defend himself and challenge the evidence presented by the prosecution when the trial begins.
It is important to note that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. The charge against him is an allegation by the prosecution. The court has not made any finding of guilt against him.
Cases of defilement are treated as serious criminal matters in Lagos State. The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Public Defender, has continued to encourage members of the public to report cases of sexual violence against children to the police or to the appropriate agencies for investigation and prosecution.
The court has adjourned the matter pending the DPP’s advice. P.M.EXPRESS will bring you updates as the case progresses.

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