A 27-year old guardian, Eunice Agboye has been arraigned at the Lagos State’s Magistrate Court, sitting at Ogudu for allegedly inflicting multiple injuries on her 11-year-old nephew with an electric wire.
The victim (whose names are withheld because he’s underaged) was said to have been beaten severally with the weapon by the guardian over a missing N1,000 given to him supposedly to run an errand.
The police arraigned the defendant on Monday before Magistrate O.A. Dawodu.
Miss Agboye resides on Ganiyu Estate by Igbolomu Bustop, Agric, In the Ikorodu area of the Lagos State.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of indecent treatment of a child which attracts a seven-year jail term, if found guilty.
The charge reads, “That You EUNICE AGBOYE on June 24, 2022, at about 2200hrs at No 3. Oshinteye Street, Ketu, Lagos in Magisterial District did unlawfully and Indecently deal with one 11-year-old boy by beating him with an electric wire and inflicted serious injury on his buttocks and all over his body and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 135(1) of the Criminal law of Lagos State 2015.”
The prosecutor, Inspector Sunday Bassey, told the court that the victim, who has been living with the defendant for over three years, was sent to go and buy something and was given N1000.
“He returned to report that the money got lost and was beaten badly by the defendant.
“The victim sustained serious injuries on his buttocks and other parts of his body,” Mr Bassey added.
During the court’s sitting, Magistrate Daodu ordered journalists out of the hearing, saying this was because the underaged victim was also present.
According to the field officer of the Lagos State Domestic Sexual and Violence Response Team, Oluwakemi Bello, the defendant was remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Center on the orders of the Magistrate.
She said, “The defendant pleaded not guilty to the crime and her counsel, Akhanolu Blessing asked for her bail, but the Magistrate turned down the lawyer’s request.
“The magistrate remanded the defendant pending an advice from the Director of Public Prosecution and the matter was adjourned until July 14, 2022.”