3 teachers arraigned over alleged child abuse in Ekiti

Three secondary school teachers, Olaofe Ayodele (50), Gbenga Ajibola (40) and Adeyanju Olaitan (44) on Monday appeared before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court over charges bothering on alleged child molestation and abuse. 

The first and second defendants are standing trial on a charge of rape, while the third is charged with child molestation. The trio had earlier been arraigned on February 28 and the court ordered that they should be detained in a police facility. 

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The court then adjourned the case until March 2 for ruling on the defendants bail applications. 

The first defendant, Ayodele, was alleged to have defiled his 15-year- old student, while the second defendant, Ajibola, was accused of defiling his 17-year-old student. 

Also, the third defendant, Olaitan, was said to have allegedly asked his student to agree to marry him to the detriment of her academic and psychological well-being. 

During prosecution, the prosecutor, Johnson Okunade, asked the court for adjournment to enable the police duplicate the case file and forward same to the office of the state director of public prosecution for legal advice. 

Counsel to the third defendant, Busuyi Ayorinde, applied for the bail application on behalf of his client. He said that the defendant is still presumed innocent and that the offence the defendant committed is bailable. 

The prosecutor opposed the bail application by the third defendant, saying that the offence was a serious one and that the case was now rampant in the society.

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Adesoji Adegboye, granted bail to the third defendant in the sum of N200, 000 with one surety in like sum. 

The chief magistrate however, ruled that the other two defendants should be returned to police custody and adjourned the case until March 4 for ruling.