Lawyer Arraigned For Assaulting 15-Yr-Old Maid

Photo Credit: Punch

Lawyer docked for inflicting injury on teenage maid.

Lagos State Police Command has arraigned a female lawyer, Tolu Laoye, for allegedly inflicting injury on the forehead of her 15-year-old maid, Abigail Opebiyi at their residence on El Shaddai Crescent in the Ipaja area of the state.

Naija News gathered that Olaoye was arrested on Friday on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, after a video of the assault went viral.

The 32-year-old lawyer was therefore taken into the custody of the gender section of the state police command in Ikeja for interrogation.

It was learnt that the lawyer appeared before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing a two count charge.

Punch reports that although the incident happened on December 1, 2017, neighbours of the lawyer became aware of the injury on December 14.

Olaoye reportedly kept the girl indoors after inflicting the injury on her until she came out on that day.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Simon Imhonwa, told the court that the offence was contrary to sections 170 and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The charges read, “That you, Tolu Olaoye, on December 1, 2017, about 8pm, at 5, Elshadai Crescent, Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Abigail Opebiyi, 15-year-old, by beating her, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 170 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you, Tolu Olaoye, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully assault one Abigail Opebiyi, by beating her with a belt and in the process she sustained an injury in her forehead, which caused her a bodily harm, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Her counsel told the court that the victim’s father, Femi Opebiyi, had agreed to withdraw the case which the father cofirmed before the court.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. B.O. Osunsanmi, therefore adjourned the case till February 1, 2018, for report of settlement and granted Olaoye bail of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum, adding that the addresses of the sureties must be verified.