By ADENIKE AYODELE

A police officer, Insp Olakunle Oyedeji, on Tuesday told an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court how a pastor, Israel Phillip, allegedly defiled his neighbour’s 11-year-old daughter.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Phillip is facing a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration.

Oyedej, while being led in evidence by the state counsel, Mr Babajide Boye and Ms Inumidun Solarin, said he received the case of an alleged defilement on Sept. 22, 2019 at the Gender Section, Police Command in Ikeja.

The witness said that the case was transferred from Ketu Division by one Sgt. Omowumi, together with the survivor, defendant and the complainant’s files.

He said the survivor told him that the defendant, her late mother’s former neighbour, allegedly defiled her sometime in 2016.

“The survivor said her late mother was a neighbour to the defendant.

“The survivor said she went to the defendant’s apartment to play with his three children. While she was there, the children were asleep.

“She said she was in the sitting room watching the television when the defendant dragged her into the room and had sex with her,” he said.

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr M.O. Osho, the witness said he had carried out over 50 cases at the Police Gender Division.

The witness, however, told the court he did not visit the scene of the incident at the time the report was filed because both parties had left the scene.

He further said that he was not in position to determine the case when he was asked if he could validate the authenticity of the charge against the defendant.

The witness stated that the alleged incident happened in 2016 but was reported in 2019.

However, the prosecutors alleged that the defendant defiled and sexually assaulted the survivor by penetrating her vagina with his penis.

They claimed that the defendant committed the offences between 2016 and 2017 on Ayinde St., Ojota, Lagos.

According to them, the alleged offences contravene Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Justice Ramon Oshodi adjourned the case until June 20 for continuation of trial. (NAN)

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