Rape: Randy soldier arraigned, remanded in police custody

The police, on Wednesday, arraigned a soldier, Sunday Awolola, before an Ondo State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure for alleged rape.

Awolola, who was attached to the 32 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Akure, was alleged to have raped a student of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.

He was said to have committed the offence at a military checkpoint on the Ikare Akoko-Akungba Akoko Road on July 31, 2019.

The victim is said to be a 300-level student of the Department of Religious and African Studies at the AAUA.

Following the outcry that the incident generated, the army dismissed the randy soldier and handed him over to the state police command for prosecution.

The 33-year-old Awolola was arraigned on one count of rape on Wednesday.

According to the police prosecutor, Mr Adeoye Adesegun, the accused committed an offence contrary to Section 357 and punishable under Section 358 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

The case could, however, not be heard as the defence counsel, Mr Kayode Idowu, opposed the application brought before the court by the prosecutor.

The police prosecutor had brought an application to remand the accused, but Idowu opposed it and asked the court to adjourn the case to enable him to study and respond to the application appropriately.

In his ruling, the magistrate, Mr Mayowa Olanipekun, adjourned the matter till Friday, August 16, 2019, to enable the defence counsel study the application.

The magistrate ordered that the accused be remanded in police custody till the adjourned date.

The representative of the Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Ogunleye Oluwaniyi, said he was in the court to represent the ministry, because the state government had interest in the case.

“We are here to ensure that justice is served on the part of the accused as well as the victim. That is what the Ondo State Government is interested in,” Olaniyi explained.

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