Lawyer re-arraigned for defiling nine-year-old on court premises

The police in Lagos on Monday brought a 40-year-old lawyer, Christopher Uzomaka, before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on fresh four charges bordering on unlawful penetration into the private parts of a nine-year-old girl.

It was learnt that the victim lived with her parents in London, United Kingdom and had come to Nigeria on vacation.

Uzomaka had been arraigned on August 12 before the court on three counts related to the alleged crime which he was said to have committed inside one of the courtrooms in the magistrate’s court.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the minor had followed her grandma, who is a claimant in a civil matter before the court, to the premises on August 11 when the incident happened.

It was gathered that the lawyer, who the woman wanted to engage to handle the case, was initially playing with the victim before he lured her into the vacant courtroom, where he reportedly carried out the act.

The girl was said to have rushed from the court in tears and told her grandmother that the lawyer fondled her breast, and dipped his finger into her private parts.

The grandmother said the victim had declined to speak on the incident until she took her to a secluded place on the court premises.

Our correspondent was told that the lawyer was arrested and taken to the Lion Building Police Station.

A police prosecutor, Sergeant A. Koti, brought Uzomaka before the presiding magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, on four counts of sexual assault.

The charges read in part, “That you, Christopher Uzomaka, on August 12, 2015, at about 12.45pm at the Court 4 of the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos Magisterial District, did sexually assault by penetrating the anus and vagina of a nine-year-old girl and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

“That you on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid magisterial district did cause the girl to engage in a sexual activity without her consent.

“That you did willfully and without lawful excuse perpetrate an indecent act in a public place and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 134 sub-section (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges and prayed the court to grant him bail in liberal terms.

Owolabi granted him bail in the sum of N400,000 with two sureties in like sum. He said the sureties must show evidence of tax payments and should deposit N100,000 to the account of the state chief registrar as parts of his bail conditions.

He added that one of the sureties must be a lawyer who had been practising for 10 years.

While adjourning the case till September 14, 2015, the magistrate ordered that the case file be sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

Source:Punch