Man who raped 18-months-old baby remanded in prison

A 47-year-old man, Emmanuel Magbatie, who allegedly raped an 18-months-old baby daughter of his neighbour at the compound he shares with the infant's parents in the Owutu axis of Ikorodu, Lagos State, has been remanded in the custody of the Kirikiri Prison by Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi of an Ikeja Magistrates' Court, till September 22, 2016,  when his case would be heard.


It was gathered that the Magbatie, a bricklayer and a father of three, was caught red handed in the act inside his room by the mother of the child who reported the case at the Owutu Police Division after which he was arrested.

The case was later transferred to the gender desk of the State Police Command in Ikeja, on the insistence of Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Coordinator of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), after tests conducted on baby at the Mirabel Centre at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), proved that she had been defiled.

When Magbatie was arraigned at the court on a one-count charge of defilement, the police prosecutor, Inspector Stephen Imonhon stated:

“That you, Emmanuel Magbatie, on August 3, at 23, Adebayo Street, Owutu, Agric, Ikorodu, did sexually assault an 18-month-old baby (names with held) by penetration and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 259 Criminal Code of Lagos State 2011.”

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and Magistrate Osunsanmi granted him N500,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum, and therefore ordered that he be moved to the prison pending when the case would be heard.