AN Ikeja High Court in Lagos has discharged and acquitted a part-time Arabic teacher, Mr Anisere Sulaimon, of a defilement and sexual assault charge after he had spent almost four years in detention.
According to reports, Justice R. A. Oshodi upheld the no-case submission filed by the defence counsel, Mr Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem.
Mr Sulaimon, who was a final year student of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education at the time of his arrest in 2018, and a resident of Abesan Estate, Ipaja Lagos was accused of defiling and sexually assaulting a then four-year-old child at the Mahadu Ridwanullah Arabic and Islamic School, Opeki in Abesan Estate; he denied committing the offence.
The judge agreed with the defence counsel, that apart from Sulaimon denying the charge, the prosecution’s lone-witness (Mercy Oluranti) also testified that she was aware that it was a relation of the child that used to sexually assault the child.
The court noted that the witness said one Kehinde Adedeji, who is an uncle to the child, confessed to the crime of defiling the four-year-old.
Justice Oshodi said: “The prosecution has not made out a sufficient case to warrant the defendant being directed to put up a defence to count 1. I uphold the no-case submission in relation to this count and, therefore, accordingly discharge and acquit the defendant on this count.
“Count 2 relates to the same victim, but this time, the penetration of her vagina in a sexual manner by the defendant.”
The court observed that the witness did not witness the alleged offences, adding that, like for count one, “the evidence of PWI does not raise a prima facie case”. In the judge's words, “there is no ground for proceeding with defence, I hold that the no-case submission succeeds. The Defendant, Anisere Sulaimon, is accordingly discharged and acquitted.”
It should be noted that on June 5, 2018, Sulaimon was brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on the allegation of defilement and sexual assault and remanded at the Kirikiri facility.
News Credit: THE NATION
