Hakeem Gbadamosi, Author at Tribune Online

A Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo state capital, has remanded a 38-year-old man, Adebowale Adegboye and three others to Ondo Correctional Centre over alleged incest, abortion and indecent assault on a 15-year-old girl. Others accused along with Adegboye include, Idowu Akinseye, 38, Ayoola Ogunkolade, 32 and Israel Oluwafemi Ojo, 32. Adegboye who is the biological father of the young girl, allegedly committed incest by unlawfully having carnal knowledge of his daughter, while the victim's stepfather, Akinseye and two others were arraigned on a five-count charge of incest, abortion and indecent assault on the victim. ALSO READ: Fayose faults multi-billion naira solar project in Aso Villa According to the prosecution, the victim's stepfather, was arraigned for having an unlawful dealing with his stepdaughter by caressing her body and inserting his left finger in her private part without her consent. Akinseye was also alleged of having unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl since she was 10 years old, while the fourth defendant, a medical doctor, Israel Adebowale Ojo, was alleged of unlawfully procuring abortion for the girl while she was ten year. The charge sheet read: “That you, Adebowale Adegboye ‘m’, on December 15, 2024, at about 12:00 noon in Akure, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court did commit incest by unlawfully having carnal knowledge of your biological daughter (names withheld), and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25 (a) of the Ondo State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law 2021. “That you, Adebowale Adegboye ‘m’ on December 15, 2024, on same day, time and place in Akure, within the jurisdiction of the honourable Court did have unlawful carnal knowledge of your daughter and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006. “That you Adegboye Adebowale, Ayoola Ogunkolade and Israel Oluwafemi Ojo, on January 20, 2025 at about noon in Akure within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court did conspire to commit felony to wit: procurement of abortion and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006 The two-count charge against the stepfather read: “That you, Idowu Akinseye ‘m’, sometimes in the year, 2019 at several times at Alade Idanre Magisterial District did unlawfully and indecently deals with your stepdaughter, aged 10 years, as at the time the offence was committed by caressing her body and inserting your left finger in her vagina without her consent, after which you unlawfully had carnal knowledge of her and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 222 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006" The fifth count against the father and the doctor who procured the abortion read: “That you, Adebowale Adegboye and Israel Oluwafemi Ojo, on same date, time and place at the aforementioned Magisterial district did unlawfully procure abortion for the victim and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 230 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria" The prosecutor, Supol Martins Olowofeso, noted that the court had earlier adjourned for ruling and urged the court to wait for the advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Counsel for the 3rd and 4th defendants, Messr Adedamola Ambekemo, prayed the court for his clients’ bail. However, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs Grace Alphonso, who held that some of the offences were bailable, while other counts were not bailable, ordered that the defendants should be kept at the Ondo Correctional facility till the next date of adjournment. Alphonso however, ordered that the four suspects be remanded at the Ondo Correctional facility pending the issuance of advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and adjourned to May 22, 2025, for hearing.