Two teachers of Zaria Children School, Kaduna State, were on Thursday arraigned before a chief magistrates’ court in Tudun-Wada, Zaria, over the alleged defilement of a minor student.
The prosecutor, ASC Mustapha Abdulkadir, said the two teachers were standing trial on charges hinged on an unnatural offence (lesbianism).
He said the alleged offence is contrary to section 259 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017.
The prosecutor told the court that on September 11, one Yahaya Aliyu of the Tudun Jukun area, Zaria, came to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Zaria Area Command, and reported against the defendants.
He stated that the defendants are Atoyebi-Eunice Temitope (female) of No. 2, Dogon Bauchi, Sabon Gari, Zaria, and Damilola Adeyemo (female) of Hanwa New Extension, Zaria, and three others who are now at large.
Mr Abdulkadir alleged that on September 18, when the nominal complainant’s wife was bathing the victim, an 11-year-old pupil in Junior Secondary School (JSS 1), she observed that the victim had been molested.
“Upon interrogation at home, the victim mentioned the names of the defendants and alleged that it started sometime in 2023, when the victim was in primary three.
“The victim also alleged that the first defendant, Temitope (known to the victim as Mrs Okasha), took the victim to a toilet near class 4A during the long break lesson period and put an object into her private part.
“She alleged that the incident happened over three different times and further alleged that Mrs Okasha threatened to inform kidnappers to abduct her if she disclosed the affair to anybody,’’ he said.
The prosecutor also told the court that on September 16, when the school resumed, the second defendant, Ms Adeyemo, called the victim upstairs (the secondary school section) and entered the female toilet with her.
He added that while in the female toilet, the second defendant inserted something into her private part using an object that looked like a syringe.
The prosecutor told the court that the alleged actions of the defendants violate section 259 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017, as amended.
Senior Magistrate Rabi Hashim adjourned the matter until October 22 for further mention, pending legal advice from the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice.
She also ordered that the defendants be remanded at Zaria Correctional Centre.
Apoju Sunday-Adeyemi, the school principal, who did not deny the allegations against the teachers, stated that the issues were still under investigation.
“I don’t want to comment further on a matter that is before the court of law,’’ he said.
(NAN)
