A supervisor at Chrisland School in Victoria Garden City in Lekki Lagos raped a two-year-old pupil several times. An ex-social worker, Miss Gloria Chinoyera, said this today in a testimony at the newly-inaugurated Ikeja sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court. The school supervisor, Adegboyega Adenekan, 47, is facing a charge of child defilement.
The prosecution alleged that Adenekan committed the offense sometime in November 2016 at Chrisland School, Victoria Garden City (VGC), Ajah, Lagos. Chinoyera, a lawyer, who has also undergone specialist training in social work and issues relating to children, was led in evidence by Mrs. O. Akinsete, the prosecuting counsel. She said:
“At 9.15 a.m. on Nov. 24, 2016, the defendant was brought to the police station, the mother of child `X’ was asked to bring her daughter to the station.
“During the interaction with child, she said that Mr Adenekan had used his wee-wee on her wee-wee and his mouth on her wee-wee, she also said that he comes to her classroom to sit and watch the television with her.
“The police made a video recording of our interaction with child `X’.“Shortly after our interview, Mr Adenekan was brought by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) into the room we were in, the IPO did not realise that we were still in the room.
“When she (the IPO) realised we were still in the room, she pulled Mr Adenekan back but Child `X’ had already seen him.
“She got very emotional and started crying that she wanted to see Mr Adenekan that he is her friend, we tried to calm her down but she kept insisting that she wanted to see him.
“We had to take her to the office of the Divisional Police Officer to calm her down. “After the interview and based on what Child `X’ had said, we (myself, the Officer in Charge of Human Rights, Child X and her mother) decided to visit the school at VGC, Ajah.”
Chinoyera added:
“She was asked to show us her classroom which she did and the first classroom she showed us had no television in it.
“We were made to understand that that was her new classroom as the school had changed her classroom after the allegation against Mr Adenekan.
“We asked her to show us her former classroom which she did and right in that classroom there was a black television.
“We asked her to show us Mr Adenekan’s office where she alleged he takes her to, she played for a while because she did not know the seriousness of what was happening.
“She took us upstairs, pointed to an office and an official confirmed that that was Mr Adenekan’s office
“She also showed us a room in the office which is to the right which was a toilet where she claimed he cleans her up after the act.
“The child at that time was two years and 11- months old and she is highly intelligent.
“I made a statement to the police on Nov. 25, 2016 especially as the DPO wanted us to write how the matter got to his station. That was the end of my involvement in the matter.”
Earlier during her evidence, Chinoyera told the court that she was a volunteer social worker from May 2016 to November 2016 at the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) when a petition about the alleged defilement was filed by Child X’s mother.
The ex-social worker claimed that efforts to get the school to interrogate Adenekan were futile on two occasions and that the school supervisor was transferred to the Ikeja branch of Chrisland School following the allegation. She said it was for the third time on Nov. 22, 2016, with the assistance of Area “F ” Police Command that access to Adenekan was granted.
The defense counsel, Mr. Olatunde Adejuyigbe (SAN), while cross-examining Chinoyera queried how efficient her investigation into the alleged defilement was. The ex-social worker revealed during the cross-examination that the matter was not initially reported to the police.
“The petitioner said when it was mentioned to the school, the school said it was not possible for Mr Adenekan to do it as at Nov. 16, 2016 when nothing was done about it, she filed a petition to the OPD.
“According to the petitioner, she had initially thought about reporting to the police but she thought that the police could be `funny’ at times. “She decided to go to the OPD which she felt will see to the end of the matter,” she said.
Chinoyera also revealed under cross-examination that while acting in her capacity as a social worker in the case, she never spoke to the defendant, the teachers and the management of Chrisland School.
“I never spoke to the defendant, I had no cause to; my primary concern was for the child, her welfare and protection. “I did not speak to teachers, the police did, I went to the Chrisland School just once and twice when I was attempting to invite Adenekan for interrogation.
“I did not really speak to the management of the school, the police did, I only spoke to them to confirm the office of Adenekan.
“It was not in my place to conduct an investigation, it was the duty of the police.
“I was there to ensure that justice was done in the matter, the child was okay and not traumatised,” she said.
Justice Sybil Nwaka adjourned the case until Feb. 8 for continuation of trial.
NAN