Read what 43-year-old teacher did to his pupil in the school premises

– Accused admits to committing said crime

– Writes settlement draft, promises to foot victim’s medical bill

– Begs victim’s parent not to make the matter public but fails

Cosmos Ugbaja has been arraigned before an Ikeja magistrates’ court court over alleged defilement of his student.

According to Vanguard, Cosmos, a Computer Science teacher in the unnamed school, admitted to committing the criminal act and pleaded with the parents of the victim not to involve the police in the matter.

The resident of 13 Banjo Oyesanya Street, Ishawo, Ikorodu was said to have defiled the 14-year-old student on June 1, 2016, as some elders in the community tried to appeal to the parents of the victim to allow them settle without the law enforcement agencies.

The parents subsequently asked the suspect to draft a settlement document which the victim’s parent, school principal and the elders jointly signed.

Cosmos, it was gathered, took responsibility for the atrocity, promised to fund the victim’s medical bill and pay N150, 000 in installment to the family as compensation.

The parent of the victim, on realising how much damage had been done to the poor girl, reported the matter to the Lola Vivour-Adeniyi-led Lagos state domestic and sexual violence response team, from where the matter was taken to court.

Sergeant Olakunle Orebe, who stood as the prosecuting officer, held that the said act was punishable under section 137 of the 2011 Lagos state Criminal law and the Mrs B Osunsanmi, who presided over the matter, adjourned the case and granted the accuse bail of N500, 000 and two sureties in like sum.

After the decision of the jury, Vivour-Adeniyi said:“The office of the Public Defender, OPD has also been notified in order to ensure that the affected person’s rights are not further infringed upon.”

The issue of girl-child molestation is on the rise in the country as only recently, a 48-year-old man identified as Michael Ogbar, was arraigned before an Ikeja magistrates’ court for defiling his daughters.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tajuden Elias, the court’s chief magistrate, refused to listen to the man’s plea, preferring instead to remand him at the Kirikiri prisons.

The magistrate transferred the matter to Apapa magistrates’ court because his court lacked the jurisdiction to treat the matter.