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| Railway Police Command |
An aide of the Commissioner of Police, Railway Police Command, Lagos State, Stephen Aji, has been arraigned for rape at a chief magistrate court sitting in Ebute-Meta, Lagos.
The Chief Magistrate, Folashade Botoku, ordered his remand in the Ikoyi Prison pending the ruling on his bail application.
Aji’s arraignment was sequel to an exclusive report by PUNCH Metro.
It had been reported that the police corporal had tricked a lady, identified as Yeni, into the police barracks and had sex with her.
It was reported that Aji wanted another round of sex which the victim turned down.
He was alleged to have assaulted her until she passed out, and still forced himself on her.
Sources said when the matter got to the attention of the police authorities, Aji was dismissed. He was said to have been handed over for prosecution.
But on the morning of his arraignment for the crime, a powerful police officer ordered the suspension of the proceeding and his release.
However, a police source said PUNCH Metro’s story generated tension at the Railway Police Command and led to the re-arrest of the suspect.
The source explained that Aji’s mother, a serving Chief Superintendent of Police at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, was behind the derailment of the case.
He said, “The mother of the corporal (Aji) is a CSP working at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. His father, who was also a police officer, is dead. He was their only son. But he had a disagreement with his mother, which caused bad blood between them and they stopped communicating.
“When his mother heard about the rape case and that he had been dismissed and was about to be arraigned, she ran to meet her boss, a Deputy Inspector General of Police to intervene.
“It was the DIG that called the police in Lagos to suspend the arraignment and release him.
“But when you started investigating the story and contacted the Railway CP, it caused panic. He quickly called the DIG in Abuja and said his job was at stake as The PUNCH was interested in the case. He got instruction to re-arrest the corporal.”
Our correspondent was told that the Railway command called Aji to come for his uniform, which was seized, as he was being considered for a pardon.
Upon reporting at the headquarters, the Commissioner of Police was said to have asked him to proceed to the EBJ Area Command.
He was thereafter re-arrested and detained.
He was arraigned on two counts of rape and assault.
The charges read, “That you, Stephen Aji, on January 11, 2016, at about 01.30am, at Woodward Police Barracks, Railway Compound, Ebute-Meta, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully have sexual intercourse with Yeni (surname withheld) without her consent.
“That you, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully assault Yeni with intent to commit rape, which caused her harm in the neck and injuries in her waist and leg.”
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Moses Uademevbo, said the offences were punishable under sections 258 and 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
Aji pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary trial.
His defence counsel asked for his bail in liberal terms.
The Chief Magistrate, Botoku, ordered that he be remanded in prison pending the ruling on his bail application.
The case was adjourned till February 18, 2016.
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