A 21-year-old lady has indicated her interest to withdraw a case of rape which is currently before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court, Tinubu, Lagos Island.
In a letter written to the court and signed by her, the lady (name withheld) stated that she wanted the matter withdrawn and settled out of court in view of the fact that the accused person had apologised for his actions.
In a letter written to the court and signed by her, the lady (name withheld) stated that she wanted the matter withdrawn and settled out of court in view of the fact that the accused person had apologised for his actions.
The complainant had accused one Fashanu of having a carnal knowledge of her without her consent. She had told the police during her statement that the incident happened on Friday, September 12, 2014.
She said she had gone to the Lagos Island on that fateful day to see a friend. When she got to the Island, she tried calling the friend she had gone to meet, but realised that her battery was down. In the course of asking around and looking for where to charge her phone, she said she met Fashanu, who offered to help her charge her phone in his house.
She claimed that while Fashanu took the phone inside his room to charge, she stood outside. Minutes later, Fashanu called her to come inside and answer a call as her phone was ringing. She further claimed that Fashanu subsequently forced himself on her and had sex with her, threatening to kill her if she refused to cooperate.
Fashanu, in his defence, had alleged that the lady was his girlfriend. He claimed that she had called him earlier on that day that she was coming to visit him. He further claimed that they had sex by mutual consent during the visit, after which the lady asked him for some money. According to him, he promised to give her the money at a later date, but she was not satisfied with the response, only for her to accuse him of raping her.
Fashanu had been arraigned on one count of rape which read, “That you Fashanu, on September 12, 2014, at about 6.30pm on Okesuna Street, Lagos Island, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did have unlawful carnal knowledge of one … aged 21 years without her consent and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 285 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.”
He had pleaded not guilty and had been granted bail by Senior Magistrate M.L. Owolabi in the sum of N300, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
