The lagos state government has taken custody of two children who are alleged victims of sexual abuse by a teacher.
The children’s father, Adebisi Arewa, accused Adewale Bakare, 48, a teacher at Methodist Girls’ Secondary School, of sexually abusing his nine-year-old daughter.
Bakare, who was released on bail Thursday, denied the allegations.
Custody
On May 13, the court of first instance granted the request of the Child Protection Unit of the state Ministry of Youth and Social Development to take the children into custody.
At Friday’s hearing, a representative from the unit told the magistrate that they had requested to keep the children for another seven days.
He also filed a report dated May 20 and claimed that the report is “nothing but the truth.”
However, Mr. Arewa through his lawyer, NO Nwachukwu, requested to “set his eyes” on his children.
He said he has applied to the ministry and wants the court to review the emergency care order that was initially granted.
But the ministry representative said he hadn’t seen the app yet.
However, the magistrate, AO Olayinka, said that the children’s parents are allowed to see their wards in the presence of unit officials.
He also agreed to the ministry’s request to stay with the children for the next seven days.
The court adjourned the civil matter until May 30.
In the criminal case involving the alleged child abuser, the magistrate postponed the hearing for July 19 for the opinion of the Directorate of the Public Ministry (DPP).
background
Recently, some groups marched from the office of the Nigerian Bar Association in Ikeja to the headquarters of the Lagos State Police Command with banners to demand justice for the imputed teacher.
Arewa, associate professor at the Nigerian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies(NIALS), had previously charged five teachers and the school driver, Abiodun Martins, with the same crime that led to the latter’s life sentence in February.
The groups also accused Arewa of sexually abusing her two daughters.
While calling for the release of the school teacher, Ms. Taiwo-Ojo said that the complainant did not present the alleged victim for forensic evidence.
But Arewa told this newspaper that the accusations are “funny” and “blatant lies.”