Olaoye was arrested on
Friday on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, after a
video of the assault went viral.
The victim lived with
Olaoye on El Shaddai Crescent in the Ipaja area of the state.
She was taken into the
custody of the gender section of the state police command in Ikeja for
interrogation, while the girl was rescued.
The 32-year-old lawyer was
charged with two counts before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Although the incident
happened on December 1, 2017, it was said that neighbours of the lawyer became
aware of the injury on December 14.
Olaoye was said to have
kept the girl indoors after inflicting the injury on her until she came out on
that day.
A police prosecutor,
Inspector Simon Imhonwa, told the court that the offence contravened sections
170 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The charges read, “That
you, Tolu Olaoye, on December 1, 2017, about 8pm, at 5, Elshadai Crescent, Baruwa,
Ipaja, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one
Abigail Opebiyi, 15-year-old, by beating her, thereby committing an offence
punishable under Section 170 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria,
2015.
“That you, Tolu Olaoye, on
the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did
unlawfully assault one Abigail Opebiyi, by beating her with a belt and in the
process she sustained an injury in her forehead, which caused her a bodily
harm, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 171 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
The defendant, however,
pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Her counsel told the court
that the victim’s father, Femi Opebiyi, had agreed to withdraw the case, a move
the father corroborated before the court.
After standing the case
down for some minutes, the presiding magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, later
adjourned the case till February 1, 2018, for report of settlement.
She granted bail to the
defendant in the sum of N200,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum,
adding that the addresses of the sureties must be verified.
(Punch)
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