An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday ordered the remand of a 74-year-old cleric, Joseph Adeniran, at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre over the alleged defilement of his nine-year-old granddaughter.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs C.M. Kushanu, ordered that Adeniran be remanded pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). His plea was not taken when he appeared before the court.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until Sept. 24 for further proceedings.
Adeniran, who resides on Araromi Street, off Baba Egbe Road, Meiran, Lagos, is facing a charge of defilement arising from an incident allegedly involving his granddaughter.
The prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji, told the court that the alleged offence occurred on June 18, 2026, at the defendant’s residence.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant allegedly sexually abused the child with his finger, resulting in profuse bleeding.
Ademigbuji told the court that the incident came to light after a neighbour noticed bloodstains on the child’s clothes and became concerned about her condition.
The prosecutor said that when the neighbour made enquiries, the child allegedly identified her grandfather as the person responsible for the injury.
Following the disclosure, the matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the defendant.
The prosecution is relying on Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which the prosecutor said was contravened by the alleged act.
The court, however, did not determine the defendant’s guilt at the Tuesday proceedings. The remand order was made pending the DPP’s legal advice, after which the prosecution is expected to determine the appropriate next step in the case.
The matter has been adjourned until Sept. 24.
