A 28-year-old trader, Moses Olushola, on Friday appeared before a Jos Upper Area Court charged with raping a minor. Olushola, a resident of Abattoir Area of Jos, appeared before Malam Mustapha Hassan on a one-count charge of raping an 11-year-old girl.
The police First Information Report (FIR) stated that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 12, at about 6 p.m.
The FIR further stated that the father of the minor, one Mr Olu Akinlabi, who resides in the same compound with the accused reported the incident to Abattoir Police Outpost on Feb. 13, at about 1.30 a.m.
It stated that the accused lured the minor into his house under the pretext of sending her on an errand and ended up raping her.
It stated that the accused locked the minor inside his house, tied her with a rope and closed her mouth with a cello tape before committing the offence.
“The accused had several rounds of sexual intercourse with the minor to his satisfaction.
“But luck ran against him when the parents of the girl and some of their relations conducted a house-by-house search and the minor was found in his house,” the FIR stated.
The FIR stated that the minor was taken to a hospital where she was treated for bruises on her private part.
It said that the accused had committed an offence contrary to section 283 of the Penal Code.
When the FIR was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty to the charge and applied to the court for bail.
The prosecutor, Mr Shuaibu Tambaya, objected to the application on the grounds that the case was still under investigation.
The Judge, however, granted the accused bail in the sum of N70,000 with one surety in like sum.
“The surety must be at least a grade level 10 officer with either the state or Federal Government,” the judge ordered.
The case was adjourned to May 24, for hearing.