A man stands the chance of being put behind bars after he was accused of forcefully having a carnal knowledge of a minor.
A 27-year-old man who allegedly molested his neighbour’s underage daughter was on Tuesday, arraigned at an Ikeja Chief Magistrates' Court in Lagos State.
The accused, Samson Uba, who resides at CBQ 207, Flat 1, Ikeja Military Cantonment, Ikeja, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in like sum.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Simon Imhonwa, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on December 18 at his residence. He said that Uba approached the father of the 10-year-old girl to request that she should be allowed to run an errand for him.
"The daughter of the neighbour ran the errand and returned to Uba with what she went to buy.
"Uba pounced on her in the kitchen and forcefully removed her underwear," Imhonwa said, adding that the accused inserted his fingers into the girl’s private part and caused her lacerations.
According to him, the child's father raised an alarm when the child returned home bleeding from her private area.
He said that the girl related what happened to her father and Uba was arrested. The prosecutor told the court that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The magistrate, Mrs Bola Osunsanmi, adjourned the case till March 17 for trial.