Lagos – A man has been remanded in prison in Nigeria’s Lagos State for allegedly defiling a minor.
Charles Chinonso, 35, was remanded in Awarjigoh Correctional Centre by a Magistrates’ Court in Badagry for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl (name witheld), after the suspect pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of defilement and breach of peace.
The Chief Magistrate A. J. Aina also ordered that the case file should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
Aina adjourned the case until January 29, 2025 for mention.
Prosecutor Ayodele Adeosun had told the court that the defendant committed the offences in July 2023 at about 8.00p.m. at No. 233 Alubarika Bus Stop, Ajangbadi in the Ojo area of the southwestern state.
Adeosun said that the defendant “touched the girl’s private parts without her consent.”
He also said that the defendant threatened to kill the girl if she revealed his criminal act with her.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 265, 263 and 168 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
While rape crimes across ages are rising, sexual defilement of children appears to be rising even faster as reports of child rape surface with alarming frequency in the mass media.
Increasingly, Nigerian children are plagued by multiple adversities.
According to a 2023 report by UNICEF, six out of every 10 children experience some form of violence, and one in four girls and 10 percent of boys have been sexually abused. Only five in 100 abused children receive support and counselling.
The Nigerian child also lacks the basic child healthcare, including vaccinations, adequate nutrition, education, and protection from violent non-state actors. Many children are languishing in refugee camps, displaced by floods, Fulani herdsmen attacks, and Islamic terrorists.
UNICEF explains that sexual violence has long-lasting damaging effects on the victim. Victims can resort to substance abuse and other debilitating behaviour to numb the trauma. It adds, “And as child victims reach adulthood, sexual violence can reduce their ability to take care of themselves and others.” Also, the World Health Organisation said sexual abuse may impair the physical and mental health of a child.