Osun to prosecute sexual assault of Kwara Corps member | The Guardian Nigeria News

The Osun State Ministry of Justice has taken over the prosecution of the case of a 29-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Fasade Ezekiel Adesoji, who allegedly sexually assaulted a female student of Osun State University, Osogbo.

The Criminal Investigation Department of the Osun State Police Command has charged Adesoji, who is currently pursuing his one-year NYSC program in Ilorin, Kwara State, for allegedly attacking the student while he was traveling to Osogbo.

The female victim (name withheld) was said to have gone to Soji’s room behind Nawarudeen Primary School, Oke Baale area, Osogbo Local Council of the state to put some fruits in his refrigerator when Adesoji, her neighbor, violently attacked her Sex had knowledge of her.

The Guardian learned that the student lived off campus and had gone to Adesoji’s apartment with her friend on the night of Friday, February 16, 2024.

After the two ladies entered the suspect’s apartment, the victim’s friend reportedly immediately left the room after connecting her phone to attend to other matters. But when she returned to check her phone, she heard her friend screaming in the room as Adesoji, also known as SOJ, allegedly attacked her twice.

The corps member is said to have threatened to kill the victim with a bottle if she did not give him free rein.

It was further revealed that the suspect refused to open his door when neighbors repeatedly knocked on it and tried to save the lady.

According to a witness report, the suspect opened the door and freed the victim in the early hours of Saturday, February 17, after a vigilante in the area went to the defendant’s apartment with a gun and fired into the air.

Later, a team of police officers arrived at the scene and arrested Soji.

Police have arraigned Adesoji, a Microbiology graduate of Igbajo Polytechnic, on a four-count charge of sexual assault, indecent assault and unlawful imprisonment of the victim at a magistrate court in Osogbo.

The prosecution alleged that Adesoji allegedly assaulted the lady at Oke Baale area in Osogbo on February 16 at about 9:00 p.m., indecently assaulting her and also restraining her against her consent with a view to forcibly obtaining sexual knowledge from to obtain her.

According to the prosecution, the accused person committed the offenses contrary to and punishable under Section 2(2) of the Osun State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2021; Section 32 of the Osun State Child Rights Laws 2007; §§ 360 and 361 StGB Ch. 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.

Adesoji, however, pleaded not guilty to all counts. His lawyer, LO Akinwande, pleaded with the court to grant him bail, assuring that he would provide reliable guarantors. He told the court that Adesoji was an active corps member in Kwara State.

Justice Oyindamola Daramola granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties of the same amount.

She said one of the sureties must be a homeowner, while the other must be a biological parent or sibling of the defendant who must have the same last name as him.

When the matter came up for hearing recently, a lawyer with the Osun State Ministry of Justice, Clement Tanimose, told the court that the ministry would take over the matter from the police for prosecution.

Daramola then ordered the police to hand over the file to the ministry.