A nine-year-old pupil on Wednesday narrated before an Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos how a 40-year-old policeman, Andy Eghobamien, lured her into his apartment and defiled her on numerous occasions.
The little girl made the revelation during the trial of Eghobamien on a one-count charge of defilement contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The primary five pupil was led in evidence by Inumidun Solarin, a state prosecutor.
The nine-year-old said that on the last occasion she was defiled by the policeman, he had lured her into his apartment under the pretext of giving her N200 to buy milk for him.
The child told the court that Eghobamien after defiling her had hid her under his bed when her elder sister was frantically searching for her.
She said, “I know Andy (the defendant). He is our neighbour. He is popularly known as ‘officer’.
“On that day, he called me when I got back from school and sent me on an errand. He sent me to go and buy milk for him. Then he gave me N200.
“I bought the milk and when I returned, he asked me to bring it inside his room. He then said I should drop the milk on the table and sit down.
“When I sat down, he told me to lie on the bed and remove my pant. He put his penis in my bum. He put his penis in my front bum (vagina).
“After that, he asked me to hide under the bed when my elder sister came calling my name.
“One of our neighbours, Chioma, even entered his room to buy recharge card for him, though she didn’t see me, I saw her from under the bed.
“And because my elder sister was shouting my name and looking for me, officer told me to pretend like nothing happened and that I should pass through the backyard gate.”
The child said that when she was found by her sister, she lied and said that she was at her friend’s house and that her sister had insisted that she took her to the friend’s house.
She added, “I started begging her not to beat me, and I told her that I was inside officer’s room. My sister beat me and reported to my father who was very angry.
“When my mother came back from the market, my sister reported me again.
“This time my mother threatened to kill me if I don’t tell her what happened. I became afraid and told her the truth.
“Immediately my mother called all her brothers and they came to our house the following morning and took us to Amukoko Police Station to report.
“It was after we made a report at the station that the police came and arrested Andy.”
The witness said she was referred by authorities to the Mirabel Center (a Sexual Assault Referral Center) where doctors revealed that she had been sexually abused on several occasions by the defendant.
Justice Sybil Nwaka adjourned the case until October 30 for continuation of trial.
