A 16-year-old girl (name withheld), who allegedly stabbed to death a 51-year-old man that attempted to rape her, was Tuesday charged with murder.
The State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) arraigned the teenager, a Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3 pupil, before Mrs A Adedayo of the Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
The police, in a charge marked C/51/2020 signed by Deputy Supermarket Cardoso Yetunde, alleged that the teenager stabbed her father’s friend, Babatunde Ishola, to death on March 7.
The incident occurred in his home on Nwadolu Street, Aboru, Lagos.
The deceased was said to be employed as a guard at a school in the community and lived alone.
According to the police, the offence contravened Section 225 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
The teenager’s plea was not taken.
Chief Magistrate Adedayo granted the police’s application and remanded the defendant at the Lagos State Correctional Home for Girls, Idi Arabia.
She ordered the police to send a duplicate copy of the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and adjourned till April 27 for DPP’s advice.
The Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD), which is defending the teenager, did not oppose the proceedings.
OPD Director Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemi assured the teenager of “free and quality legal representation throughout the duration of the trial, until justice prevails.”
Adeyemi said this service was also available to other defendants the OPD is representing.

By Robert Egbe