A police officer, Sgt. Odunayo Ologe, on Wednesday told an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court how a man, Joshua Torile, allegedly raped a 22-year-old woman while she was drunk.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Torile is facing a one-count charge of rape before Justice Abiola Soladoye.
The offence contravenes Section 258 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
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Ologe, while being led in evidence by the state counsel, Ms A.R. Abolade told the court that she had been an officer for 16 years and was currently attached to Maroko Police Station, Lagos.
She said the survivor (names withheld) had came to the station with her brother on Oct. 19, 2019 and reported that the defendant raped her while she was unconscious due to high alcohol intake.
“The survivor said that on Oct. 1, 2019, one of their brothers from the same village did a birthday party which she attended and got drunk.
“She said she could not go back to her house on that day because she was drunk.
“She said her brother, one Benjamin took her to the defendant’s house to pass the night because they are from the same village.
“She said she discovered semen on her body in the night but she could not get up because of the alcohol.
“In the morning, she started feeling pains in her vagina but she was afraid to ask about what happened to her,”the witness said.
The witness told the court that the brother of the survivor visited her a few days later at her place of work in Oniru and asked if she knew what happened to her on the day she slept at the defendant’s house.
“The survivor’s brother told her that the defendant had sex with her and that the defendant confided in him.
“The survivor and her brother reported the case at the station and they both wrote down their statements,” she said.
NAN reports that the survivor and her brother’s statements were tendered and admitted as exhibits.
The witness further said that the defendant was arrested on Oct. 15, 2019 in his house and also wrote his statement at the station.
The defence counsel, Ms Enor Agofure, however, objected to admitting the statement of the defendant, arguing that his statement was obtained under torture.
Agofure prayed the court to adjourn the case for cross-examination as it was her first time of handling the matter.
However, the judge overruled her objection, stating that the defendant had not told the court that he was tortured.
Soladoye thereafter admitted the defendant’s statement into evidence.
She further cautioned the defence counsel for asking for frivolous adjournment, noting that she had announced her appearance for the case and must be ready to work.
The judge adjourned the case until May 19 for cross-examination
