A Lagos woman on Tuesday stunned an Ikeja Sexual Offences
and Domestic Violence Court that her three daughters, aged 12, nine and seven
were serially defiled by a muslim cleric, the family housed free for between
seven and eight years
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.
“In 2017, I received a call from the teacher of the school
my children go to for lessons. The teacher told me that one of my daughters
told her something and that she wanted me to hear for myself what she said.
“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her and anytime she sees a male teacher, she becomes withdrawn and scared ,”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.
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.
“We asked him about the allegations and he insisted nothing
happened. We took him to the police station for questioning and we were
referred to the Mirabel Center at Ikeja for medical examinations.
“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,” the mother said.
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.
“He lived with us for seven or eight years. When he was
living with us permanently, he used to go for his Islamic classes in the
morning around 8am and return around 5pm.
“When he was temporarily residing with us, he used to stay
on Fridays till Sundays,” she said.
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.
“He is a gentle boy. He says the truth all the time and when
I’am going out, I leave my kids with him to take care of them for me, I trusted
him so much, I was shocked to hear what he did to my daughters,” she said.
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.
“My lord, the witness said that she did not want to bring
her daughters to testify, because she feels it may be traumatic for them,”
Alagbe said.
Responding, Justice Sybil Nwaka told the woman that
preventing her children from coming to court will amount to the offence of
obstruction of justice.
“The children are the victims. They must come to court to
testify. This case is not your case, it is the case of the Lagos State
Government.
“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,” Justice Nwaka said.
The woman responded: “My lord, I feel it has been a long
time. I do not want them to be reminded of what happened.”
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 sexual 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 defendant, Idris, a cleric on various occasions defiled
the sisters aged 12, nine and seven-years-old in their home.
“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,” Alagbe said
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