The Ogun State Government on Friday said that it has dropped the charges of alleged defilement of a primary pupil against the proprietor of Perfect Life School, Igode-Remo, Mr. Ashafa Adelaja, for lack of evidence and has therefore ordered his release from the custody of the correctional service.

In a statement on Friday by the state Ministry of Justice, the ministry said that following its findings after a thorough investigation of the allegations against Adelaja, the government, on Thursday, informed the Chief Magistrate sitting in the Sagamu Magisterial District that it would not be bringing any charges against the school owner.

The statement recalled that Adelaja was accused of defiling a tender-aged pupil in his school and, because of the outrage in the immediate aftermath of his arrest, he was remanded in prison custody from March until his release on Thursday.

It added, however, that the remand turned out to be unnecessary from the facts as carefully investigated by the police and evaluated by the Ministry of Justice.

The investigation, it said, revealed without contradiction that Adelaja did not defile the victim.

The statement read, ?The victim had first shown bloody vaginal discharge in February 2025, which was noticed by the victim?s mother at home and reported to the headmistress of the school, Mr. Adelaja?s wife.

?At the time, the victim?s mother agreed that the blood could not have occurred from any incident at the school, as the bleeding was fresh, without spillage on the underwear that the victim wore to the school.

?On 14 March 2025, while at school, the victim needed to ease herself and was helped to the toilet by the headmistress. As the victim peed, the headmistress noticed fresh bleeding from the victim.?

It further stated, ?She immediately cleaned the victim with sterile water and cotton wool and sent for the victim?s mother. The mother arrived and was shown the bloody toilet bowl as well as the bloody water used to clean her. The victim was handed to her for further treatment.

?The victim?s mother subsequently returned with an allegation that her three-year-old child had been molested by Mr. Adelaja.

?Medical examination of the victim showed that the victim was not abused. She had no bruises inside or around her vagina, and her hymen was intact. Her bleeding was caused by other medical conditions, which we cannot disclose.

?Circumstantial evidence cast doubts on the occurrence of defilement by Mr. Adelaja, who is the principal of the secondary school while the victim was in the nursery and primary school under the care of Mr. Adelaja?s wife.?

The ministry added that it was constrained to publicly announce the findings to explain to the public that there is a process behind bringing criminal charges in court, adding that this process is not an emotional one and is not based on public sentiment.

The statement added that the ministry has always warned the public against jungle justice because the public is not equipped to ascertain the truth, adding that the police had access to victims, witnesses, scenes of alleged crimes, and suspects.

It lamented that while the police were still investigating, a misguided member of the public made a very damaging video convicting Adelaja of defilement in the court of public opinion and accused the Governor of Ogun State of incompetence and neglect of the issue.

This individual, it said, even unlawfully published the name and private contact details of police personnel involved in the investigation, and through his viral video, Adelaja?s reputation was damaged, his liberty was taken away, and his school was vandalised by an irate mob.

?These actions may satiate angry and uninformed members of the public, but they are not justice. Everybody in society is entitled to justice and due process, including an alleged perpetrator.

?Our justice system is founded on the principle of fairness and is one that places a premium not only on ensuring that the guilty are identified, arrested, prosecuted, and convicted, but more importantly, that the innocent do not suffer for a crime they have not committed.

?Mr. Adelaja is a reminder of why everyone, the public and the government alike, must never lose sight of that principle,? it said. (The PUNCH)

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