A Nigerian woman has cried out for help after revealing that the cleric she gave free accommodation in her house has been taking advantage of her three daughters, aged 12, nine and seven
According to report, the victim’s mother made the revelation while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the trial of Ibrahim Idris, a 26-year-old cleric, charged with defilement.
The mother of six, who is also married to a cleric while being led in evidence by the state counsel, Mr Gbenga Alagbe, told the court that she knew about the alleged defilement from a teacher in the school her daughters were attending.
“When we got to the office at the school, my oldest daughter (Daughter A) said that Idris slept with her and her younger sisters.
“I was told by the teacher that earlier while Daughter “A” was being interrogated about the allegations, she ran out of the class.
“A woman had seen her and had taken her back into the school and when she saw a male teacher she was scared because Idris was sleeping with her and anytime she sees a male teacher, she becomes withdrawn and scared ,”
The mother said following the revelation, she took her children home from the school and her husband who was not around during that period, arrived two days later on Aug. 11, 2017.
She noted that when the father arrived, the defendant was summoned to their residence.
“I had asked Daughter B (9-years-old) about the allegations and she said it was true, I had asked Daughter A (12-years-old) about the allegations but she was afraid to tell me what happened.
“However, when we got to the police station, Daughter A told me what had happened,”
While being cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mr Lekan Ijelu, the woman said the defendant was living with her family when he allegedly committed the crimes.
She noted that he had stopped residing with her family when the allegations came to light.
“When he was temporarily residing with us, he used to stay on Fridays till Sundays,”
The mother told the court that there were six adult males including the defendant who had lived in her home with her husband who is also a cleric.
She said she was shocked when she heard the allegations.
Following her evidence, the state prosecutor appealed to the presiding judge to address the woman to ensure that the mother brings her three daughters to court to testify against Ibrahim.
Responding, Justice Sybil Nwaka told the woman that preventing her children from coming to court will amount to the offence of obstruction of justice.
“You reported the case, the children must come to court to testify. That is the process and procedure, if not you will be regarded as a hostile witness and that is an offence,”
The woman responded:
Justice Nwaka adjourned the case until March 4 for continuation of trial.
Earlier during proceedings, a medical doctor and first prosecution witness, Dr Oyedeji Alagbe, of the Mirabel Center (a segxwal assault referral centre) had interpreted the finding of his medical examinations on the minors.
Alagbe confirmed to the court that medical examination revealed that the three daughters were defiled.
According to the prosecution, Ibrahim committed the offences sometime in 2017 at the complainants home at Agege, Lagos.
“The offence contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015 which prescribes a life sentence for anyone found guilty of the offence of defilement,”
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