Court remands couple for sexually assaulting 19-year-old housemaid in Lagos

A couple, Omolara Alashe, 36, and her husband, Ramoni Lateef, 40, were remanded on Tuesday by an Ogudu Chief Magistrates' Court in Lagos State for allegedly raping and abusing their 19-year-old housekeeper.

The couple is being tried for alleged rape, assault, stealing, and sexual assault. They live in Igbonla, Ketu, Lagos State.

In lieu of the defendants' plea, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. M.O. Tanimola, ordered their detention at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility pending the state Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) advice.

Tanimola postponed the matter until June 8 so it could be discussed.

Earlier, Insp. Donjor Perezi, the prosecutor, informed the court that the defendants committed the crimes at their home sometime in March.

According to Perezi, the first defendant's husband had sex with their housekeeper, who was 19 years old.

Perezi claims that the wife, the second defendant, typically wakes the girl up in the middle of the night, strips her naked, and gives her husband the order to rape the victim against the victim's will.

“Alashe beats the victim up and penetrated her vigina with her fingers till she started bleeding. She also denied the victim of her salaries and seized her GTB ATM card as well as her sim card.

“She also converted her salaries to her own personal use,” the prosecutor told the court, adding that “the case was reported to the police, leading to their arrest.”

Perezi claimed that the offences were in violation of Sections 260, 137, 287, and 261 of the Lagos State Criminal Law from 2015.

While Section 287 mandates a three-year prison sentence for stealing, Section 260 requires life imprisonment.

Source