Court frees man accused of rape after agreeing to marry 15-year-old victim

A 27-year-old tailor in Akure who abducted, raped and impregnated a 15-year-old girl was yesterday set free by a Magistrate Court, sitting in Akure, after arriving at a concrete agreement with the victim’s father to marry the girl.

Adeduro Ayodeji, popularly known as ‘Ade the Tailor’, was said to have abducted, raped and impregnated 15-year-old Mary Michael when she was sent to collect money from him by her mother.

According to Mary, “When my mummy sent me to go and collect money, he slept with me. Since that time, I have not seen my monthly period again”.

The accused was first arraigned on June 18, 2013, where the Police Prosecutor, Inspector Zakari Ibrahim told the court that the offence was committed on April 14, 2013 at about 4pm, at Number 15 Ifesowopo Street, along Ondo Road, Akure.

According to the charge sheet, the offence contravened Section 361 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37 Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

Earlier, father of the victim, Mr Michael Adikwu- a farmer- had written a petition to the Area Commander in Akure that his daughter had absconded from home, while all search conducted to locate her proved abortive.


 
“It was last week that I discovered that it was the said Ade who abducted her, stopped her school activities and kept her in his house indefinitely.

“All attempts, however, made to secure the release of my daughter from the said Ade’s custody proved abortive as he continues to threaten the entire family with cutlass and thugs,” he affirmed in the letter.

Although the suspect was granted bail on the first day of arraignment, the case, however took a new dimension today when the Prosecutor told the court that the victim’s father had written a letter to withdraw the case.

In a letter dated July 5, 2013, the father of the girl who came to the court with his daughter affirmed that he was no longer interested in the case because the accused has agreed to ‘marry’ his daughter.

“The reason for withdrawing the case is that the families of the accused person have come to beg me and also to take care of my daughter that was impregnated”, he wrote in the letter.

In his ruling, Presiding Magistrate, Mr Johnson Adelegan struck out the case, following the letter written by the teenager’s father.

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