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A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ondo town, Ondo State, has remanded five persons in custody for allegedly raping and torturing two teenage girls ( names withheld) in the town.
The five accused –Bode Akinsiku, Femi Olabanji, Abiodun Ayodele, Wahab Fadairo and Adebayo Adedayo – were arrested by the men of the Ondo State Police Command after committing the offence on Kogbona Street in the ancient town last week.
The accused were also said to have videotaped how they tortured the victims and posted their nude pictures on the Internet.
The accused were arraigned on six counts of conspiracy, rape, defamation of character and torture.
The prosecutor, Mr. Bernard Olagbayi, said the offences “are contrary to and punishable under sections 516, 351, 360, 367, 359 and 375 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Law of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.”
The accused pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
The prosecutor prayed the court to grant him a short adjournment to enable him to arrange all his witnesses.
Counsel for the accused, Mr. Adesanmi Olanrewaju, Mr. O.A. Akinbinu and Mr. A.J. Akindele, urged the court to grant the accused bail in liberal terms.
They noted that the victims were not in court, adding that the accused were still presumed innocent of all the allegations levied against them.
But the counsel for the victims, Mills Orlu, opposed the bail applications by the counsel for the accused, arguing that the absence of the victims in the court was as a result of security threats received from family members of the accused.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. B.F. Ajibade, declined bail to the accused and ruled that the five men should be remanded in prison.
She adjourned hearing of the case till June 21, 2018.
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