I did not Rape her, the N1,000 was a Christmas gift - Lagos Landlord tells court

A Lagos-based landlord, James Onuoha, has been captured and charged before a Lagos state High court for supposedly assaulting his tenant's 14-year-old niece. Onuoha has anyway denied the claim saying the N1,000 he gave her was a Christmas present.

Onuoha is standing preliminary on four courts verging on defilement.

The investigator, Jide Martins, had told the court that Onuoha raped the girl in question and the offence negated sections 134 (2), 135 (1), 137 and 258 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

Onuoha, while being driven in proof by his advice, Victor Olowonla, said to the court that his client had paid a visit to his home located at No. 25 Samuel Amoore Street, Idowu Estate, Oke-Ira Nla, Ajah, Lagos, on January 4, 2016, to inspect the premises and meet his tenant, Kenneth, who owes him two years' rent.

In his statement he wrote;


“I knocked on the door to Kenneth’s apartment, a young girl came out and said Kenneth was not around. I asked the girl her age, she said she was 16 years old and she granted me access to the apartment so that I could carry out an inspection.

“In the past, Kenneth used to hide from me, so I thought he was hiding. I got into the apartment for inspection; I did not touch her (the girl); it was during the Christmas period and that was why I gave her N1,000 as a gift.

“Two days after my visit to the house, I got a telephone call from my office that my tenant (Kenneth) had reported that I raped a girl.

“I was also called by the police from the Lamgbasa Police Station and the case was transferred to the Zone 2 Police Command.”

The presiding judge, Justice Adedayo Akintoye, adjourned the case till March 28, for the continuation of hearing.