A 32-year-old man, Gabriel Adams, was on Tuesday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly abducting and assaulting three women sexually as well as forcing them into prostitution.
Adams, a resident of Opebi area of Lagos, is facing charges of conspiracy, sexual assault by penetration, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, abduction and stealing,NAN reports.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to them.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Modupe Olaluwoye, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime between 2017 and 2019, at Ikeja.
Olaluwoye said that the defendant promised the three complainants: Miss Victoria Ubadi, Miss Blessing Olorunfemola, and Miss Mercylina Nzenwa, admission into a university in Lagos.
According to her, Adams asked the complainants to live in his place and while attending lessons in preparation for the university entrance examination.
Olaluwoye told the court that the defendant abducted the three girls and forced them into prostitution and made N9 million off them.
“My Lord, the defendant planted a charm in his victims’ room and also faked the death of a man there.’’
The prosecutor said the defendant blackmailed his victims into admitting that they were responsible for the death of the man he had faked dead.
He threatened to report them to the police and made them cough out N9million through prostitution as a cover up for their `deeds’.
The prosecutor said, “The complainants were able to escape from where they were held hostage and alerted the police, but the defendant’s accomplices, however, escaped arrest.”
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 411, 261, 265, 268 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that both Sections 261 and 265 attract life imprisonment for the offences of sexual assault by penetration and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
NAN also reports that Section 268 carries seven years’ jail term for the offence of abduction, while Section 287 prescribes three years for stealing.
The defendant was granted bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties each in like sum.
Chief Magistrate Oluwatoyin Oghere warned that one of the sureties must be a blood relation.
She also said both sureties must be gainfully employed with three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The case was adjourned until Jan. 30 for mention.
—
