Chief Magistrate AA Adebayo detained him in the Ilesa Correctional Center after he was indicted on a rape charge, despite his plea of innocence.
The charge read in its entirety: “That you, Lawal Afolabi Morufu, on November 13, 2021, during school hours in the laboratory of the Los Angeles High School, Ipetumodu, in the Ife Magisterial District, had carnal knowledge of a girl (name withheld), knowing very well that she is a girl of tender age and therefore committed a crime, contrary and punishable under section 358 of the Penal Code, Cap 34, Vol II Laws of the State of Osun, 2003 ” .
Faced with his guilty plea, his lawyer, JO Oladayo, urged the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms and assured that reliable people would be provided to defend his bail if granted.
However, the police prosecutor, Inspector Adepoju Kayode, opposed the request for bail on the grounds that rape cases were rampant in the state.
In addition, a lawyer from the Osun State Ministry of Justice, Samson Okpara, appeared in court and requested that the court allow the state government to take up the matter.
Chief magistrate AA Adebayo ruled that the case file be handed over to the justice ministry and referred Afolabi to the Ilesa Correctional Center.
The Magistrate also ordered that the matter be transferred to the Court of First Instance of Ipetumodu and must be mentioned on January 12, 2022.
Newslodge learned that the 13-year-old victim was one of the third-year students assigned to sweep the school’s lab.
According to the victim’s father, some of the school prefects had assigned her and other students to sweep the laboratory and she was the last to leave the scene.
“The teacher (Afolabi) was already there and he raped her. He threatened her not to tell anyone, but she finally got up the courage to expose him, ”the father alleged.
The victim’s parents later reported the matter to the school’s leadership before they confronted Afolabi. The matter was also reported to the Police, which led to the arrest of the suspect.
After the investigation was completed, Afolabi was prosecuted for rape before a court of first instance in Osogbo.