After seven months in detention over allegation of defiling a 12-year-old primary six pupil; Mathew Onakoya, 32, was on Friday granted bail by an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. ?
The defendant, who claimed to be a pastor, was first arraigned on Dec. 29, 2011 and charged with alleged rape of the girl on Christmas eve.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at his arraignment the `pastor’ pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in prison custody by the court.
Mr T.O. Shomade, the magistrate, ordered that the defendant should be remanded in custody pending the legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). ??
At the resumed hearing, Shomade said that the legal advice from the DPP had established a prima facie case against the defendant.
?”A case of rape has been established against the accused and he is admitted to bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties,” the magistrate said.
He also ordered that both sureties must be residents of Lagos and must each deposit the sum of N30, 000 with the Lagos State High Court registry.
NAN recalls that during Onakoya’s arraignment, the prosecutor, ASP Friday Eze told the court that the defendant, a resident of Ojo-Igbede Road, allegedly committed the offence on Dec. 24. 2011.
He had said that the defendant had invited the teenager to his residence at about 9:00 p.m. with a promise to give her some money to purchase fireworks popularly called “knock out”.
Eze had said that after the money was given to the girl, the defendant seized her and raped her.
The prosecutor had said that the offence contravened Section 158 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State 2011.
Shomade adjourned the case to Oct. 8 for trial. (NAN)