Justice Josephine Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Thursday fixed November 21 for the adoption of final written addresses in the ongoing criminal trial of a former lecturer of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Afeez Baruwa, accused of raping an 18 – year- old admission seeker (name withheld ).
Justice Oyefeso fixed the date after the defence counsel, Ms Taiwo Makinde, informed the court that they had just served the prosecution a copy of their final written addresses.
Baruwa, is facing a one-count charge of rape of an admission seeker, contrary to Section 258 of the Criminal Law of Justice, Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
Baruwa, a middle-aged father of two, was a former part-time lecturer in the Department of Accounting in the university when he allegedly committed the offence.
Responding, the prosecuting counsel, O. A. Azeez, told the court that the prosecution needed time to respond to the final written address of the defence.
The Lagos State government had alleged that the former lecturer raped the complainant at 9.25 a.m. on July 23, 2015 in Room 8 at the Faculty of Business Administration Annex building, UNILAG.
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Baruwa, who was a friend of the victim’s father, was requested by him to help his daughter secure admission into the institution.
The alleged rape occurred when the girl came into Baruwa’s office to make arrangements for her admission into the university.
UNILAG authority has, however, put up a disclaimer in respect of the lecturer.
Four prosecution witnesses had testified during the trial, including the complainant, her father, a medical doctor and the investigating police officer.
The prosecution closed its case against Baruwa on January 23, 2018.
Baruwa testified solely in his defence on May 31.
The accused person ttestified in his own defence, he claimed that the complainant was his girlfriend and that he had consensual sexual intercourse with the girl.
He further alleged that the girl had seduced him in his office on the day the alleged crime was committed.