Magistrate warns child abusers
A Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba, yesterday, remanded the proprietress of Cradle of Wisdom School, Mrs Clifford Ikpinkpini, and her two children in Kirikiri Correctional Centre for alleged torture and inhumane treatment of a 10-year-old pupil of the school.
Magistrate B. Osunsanmi remanded the defendants pending the perfection of their bail, after they were arraigned before the court. The proprietress and her two children, Okeisoprugwe Clifford Ikpinkpini, 34, and Okorie Ikpinkpini, 37, were remanded on a four-count charge bordering on subjecting a pupil, Abel Ojeka, to inhumane treatment and torturing.
The police prosecutor, Raji Akeem, alleged that the defendants and others, now at large, on June 27 and 28, at about 8:00 a.m., at Cradle of Wisdom School, Igando, flogged one Abel Ojeka, a 10-year-old boy, with a cane and inflicted injuries on his back, left hand, and waist.
According to him, the offence is punishable under Section 173, 172 and 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015. Also, the defendants were charged for allegedly infringing on the right to dignity of Abel Ojeka by subjecting him to torture, inhumane or degrading treatment and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 10 (1) (b) of the Child Rights Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The police said that when the incident was reported at the station, the defendants conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace, refused to collect or accept police invitations, and refused to appear at the station.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them. Following their not guilty plea, Magistrate Osunsanmi admitted them to bail of N200,000 with two sureties each, and adjourned till August 29, for mention.
Meanwhile, a drama ensued in court when the defendants refused to give details of their address and declined to put down their statements.
The Investigative Police Officer (IPO), Yemi Amoo, had to show video evidence of how the defendants acted towards the police to the Chief Magistrate, who condemned the action of the proprietress and her co-defendants.
The Chief Magistrate bluntly told the perpetrators that since they were not willing to give their information, she would remand them till they were ready.
She said: “This should be a warning to yet-to-be identified child abusers across Lagos State and Nigeria because this is just the beginning of total cleansing of the toxic system.
“This is should send a signal to child abusers in both public and private schools; Lagos government has zero tolerance for child abuse.”
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