Date: 2012-06-24

An Ilorin Magistrates' Court on Friday remanded Tunde Lawal, a 32-year-old clergyman, for allegedly raping a 17 years old girl. Police Prosecutor, Insp. James Dawodu, told the court that Lawal met the girl at Tanke area in Ilorin and told her that she had some spiritual problems that could cause her death.

Dawodu said that the accused person told the girl that she needed urgent attention and used a white handkerchief to rub her face and recited some incantations to her.

He said that Lawal thereafter demanded the sum of N11,500 for incense and some other items for cleansing and the victim absent-mindedly gave him the money.

The police prosecutor told the court that the accused person later invited the victim to his house at Ajikobi Area of Ilorin for the continuation of the cleansing exercise.

Dawodu said that when the girl got to the house of the accused, he hypnotised her with some charms and black soap, and had sexual intercourse without her consent.

He added that the accused person also threatened to kill the victim with his charms if she told anybody.

Dawodu objected to the application for bail by Lawal on the ground that the offences were not ordinarily bailable and urged the court to remand the accused pending the completion of the investigations.

In her ruling, Magistrate Afusat Alege remanded the accused person at the Medium Security Prisons, Mondala, Ilorin, and adjourned the case to July 10.